


Survival

by stargatefan_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-09-17
Updated: 2005-09-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 13:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10335767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatefan_archivist/pseuds/stargatefan_archivist
Summary: SPOILERS: In reverse order: Last Stand; Summit; 48 hours; DesperateMeasures; Enemies; Exodus; Chain Reaction; Divide And Conquer;Upgrades; Small Victories; Nemesis; Shades Of Grey; Pretence; The DevilYou Know; Jolinar’s Memories; Deadman’s Switch; Point Of View;Touchstone; The Tok’ra; Message In A Bottle; Need; There But For TheGrace Of God; Tin Man; The Nox.SUMMARY: When an accident sees SG-1 stranded in another dimension,they try to find a way home but find an unlikely obstacle in theirpath.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

Stargate SG-1 FanFiction - SURVIVAL

##  SURVIVAL

##### Written by eve_orgtmptrss@hotmail.com  
Comments? Write to us at eve_orgtmptrss@hotmail.com

  * SPOILERS : In reverse order: Last Stand; Summit; 48 hours; Desperate Measures; Enemies; Exodus; Chain Reaction; Divide And Conquer; Upgrades; Small Victories; Nemesis; Shades Of Grey; Pretence; The Devil You Know; Jolinar's Memories; Deadman's Switch; Point Of View; Touchstone; The Tok'ra; Message In A Bottle; Need; There But For The Grace Of God; Tin Man; The Nox.
  * SUMMARY : When an accident sees SG-1 stranded in another dimension, they try to find a way home but find an unlikely obstacle in their path.
  * PG-13 [A][D][Hc][AU]



* * *

It was about as tall and broad as he was. It was made of greyish-blue stone carved into a vaguely rectangular shape and heavily engraved. It was standing upright. It was cold to the touch. Right. That was all clear. It was an upright-standing, tall, broad, greyish-blue, heavily-engraved, cold, vaguely rectangular, stone… thing. Yep, all the facts seemed to be there. Unfortunately, he still appeared to be lacking a reason to actually *care* about any of it.

Obviously, Carter and Daniel *had* found reasons to care. A *lot* of reasons to care. The two of them were swarming over the thing like two hyperactive bees over a particularly nectar-filled flower. Daniel was trying to see if he could make sense of the squiggles engraved all over it whilst Carter was frantically waving numerous doohickeys over it and then either babbling about energy readings, alien elements or unique crystalline something or others. It always startled him how, despite both being totally absorbed in what they were doing, they always seemed not only to know what the other was doing but - and this was the *really* annoying part - understand it better than he, Jack O’Neill, did. It wasn’t that he was an idiot - though he often acted like one - but both of them had IQs somewhere through the upper stratosphere and, as a consequence, it made it hard for any normal person to attempt climbing to their cerebral height without their eyeballs swelling up to six times their normal size and exploding. He’d learned, over the last five years, that the way to handle those two was to listen for the first twenty seconds; totally ignore them for the next ten minutes and then - if they *still* hadn’t shut up - make sarcastic comments until they gave up trying to explain things to him. It went much better all round - his head didn’t explode and they didn’t lose their voices by talking too much. Yep, much better.

All in all, though, he *was* glad that this particular alien artefact was currently sitting in Carter’s laboratory on floor 19 of the SGC meaning he was free to come and go as he pleased. Offworld, he and Teal’c would, for safety’s sake, have been forced to hang around all day and endure the torrent of very *very* misplaced excitement. There were many things - such as televised sporting events and female mud-wrestling - that were worthy of getting excited about. In his book - which was, he freely admitted, probably a pop-up book in large print with no words of more than two syllables - upright-standing, tall, broad, greyish-blue, heavily-engraved, cold, vaguely rectangular, stone things did *not* fall into the category of *exciting*. 

Sighing, he allowed himself to tune back into what Daniel and Carter were, most currently, going on and on and on about.   
  
"Right, okay… found it. ‘Chance, opportunity, choice, uncertainty’… no, wait, that has to be the plural marker. So that’s ‘Chances’ or ‘Choices’ maybe… I still don’t recognise this grouping here…" Daniel was saying, "…but this one *is* vaguely familiar… give me a moment to check…"

Jack wasn’t quite sure who Daniel thought he was requesting the ‘moment’ from but he said, "Oh, be my guest. Check away."

Glancing up in slight annoyance, Daniel quickly dismissed the comment as the call of his books got too great. Diving hungrily at one, he wrenched it open and began violently tearing through the pages in his search for some vaguely recognised word. Jack had never seen those types of squiggles anywhere before but doubtlessly Daniel had done some work on them a few years ago on some archaeological something or other. The sheer amount of ‘stuff’ Daniel knew often frightened Jack. He occasionally got the urge to go on a recon mission inside Daniel’s head. It’d be more otherworldly than any actual other world was, that was for sure. It’d probably, he mused, be like trying to navigate through a labyrinth. 

  
He was roused from his strange musing by Carter’s excited, "Holy Hannah. This is unbelievable… it’s actually an alloy. How could it be? With this amazing crystalline structure? Holy Hannah… this could indicate that they’ve found some way to… this is amazing… And the elements involved… I mean, certainly, naquadah’s the main part and there are few that I recognise but there’re at least another two that I’ve never seen before. Holy Hannah. This is incredible."

Incredible. That was a new one. Right. So, getting back to his ‘Carter’s exclamations over this doodad’ tally, he’d now counted an Incredible, three Fantastics, four Astronomicals, six Unbelievables, at least thirteen Amazings and there was no way he could even *begin* to count the Holy Hannahs. Carter *really* seemed to like the thing. It was just well… so darn fascinating. To *her*, that was. *He* was trying really hard not to yawn. Daniel and Carter got *extremely* annoyed when he yawned. 

"Found it!" Daniel shouted excitedly, "Here it is… let’s see… oh, great, another one with several possible roots…"

Frowning, Daniel picked up his notebook that he’d been scribbling into. Adding the words to it, he looked down and furrowed his brow. 

"Um," he started, "… right, okay, so this entire grouping is either… accessing lost chances or… portal of choices not taken… or a mix and match of the above. If I could just find what this grouping was then I might be able to make some sense of this passage."

Jack unhelpfully added, "How about ‘thing of utter pointlessness’?"

Annoyed, Daniel countered, "How about *you* go and find something else to do that doesn’t involve you being here. There’s no law says you have to stay here."

"What are you talking about? Course there is… you know the one, it’s kind of like Murphy’s Law…"

"Anything that can go wrong will go wrong?"

"Yeah, except this one’s called Jack’s Law and it’s got an added ‘especially when it involves Daniel, Carter and an alien doohickey that I’ve specifically told them not to mess about with’."

Daniel rolled his eyes, "‘Jack’s law’…? Fine then… stay, but if you can’t say anything useful…"

"Think of something sarcastic and say it instead? I was planning to." 

Obviously deciding that the best way to combat an O’Neill in this kind of mood was just to ignore him and hope he’d get bored and go away, Daniel got back to translating the engravings. It was, Jack had to admit, a good tactic because he was already well on the way to a terminal case of boredom. Deciding that half a day of watching the two of them run round the device was already above and beyond the call of duty, Jack jumped down from the workbench he’d been sitting on. 

Just then, Teal’c walked in, "O’Neill, General Hammond has requested that we attend a briefing in an hour."

Daniel and Sam both looked around in alarm.

Daniel said, "What?"

Sam, without so much as a millisecond gap, added, "Why?"

"SG-3 have been declared unfit for duty. We are to replace them on their designated mission. It is one of most importance."

As an individual, Sam and Daniel sighed. 

Daniel said, "I haven’t even *begun* translating the rest of the outer writing. Can’t you talk to the General, Jack?"

Sam said, "Sir, really, we need more time to study this. This material is amazing." 

Jack said, "Kids, you’re not spending all day cooped up in your room reading or playing about with your little electronic gizmos. You’re going to get yourselves outside to get some fresh air. Clear or am I going to have to withhold your allowance?"  


Teal’c said, "I was not aware you gave Major Carter and Daniel Jackson an allowance, O’Neill."

"It’s a joke, T. However, I am serious about you two. SG-1 is a field unit. Either of you have a problem with that then go get yourself a desk job."

Jack wasn’t in the mood to indulge his ‘kids’ on this one. The last time they’d acted like this, he remembered that it had abruptly ended when their precious alien doohickey had skewered him and slammed him up against the gate-room wall. This doohickey hadn’t tried doing anything horrible to him yet but, surely, it was only a matter of time. 

This particular doohickey had been brought back, earlier today, by SG-4. It’d been found on a recently destroyed world on the outer reaches of the galaxy. Though there were other ruins about the planet, there had, apparently, been nothing else to be seen but this thing in the clearing where it had been found. Just grass, moss and one alien artefact that his kids were going nuts over. Oh well, a ‘mission of most importance’ would do them some good. Might help get this unhealthy obsession out of their system. Give them a little perspective. Make them realise that there were more important things in this Universe than mysterious stone things.

Daniel said, "Hang on…"

About to tell him not to argue, Jack realised that Daniel wasn’t arguing. Instead, he had picked up a book and was very softly flicking through it. It was as if, having managed to grasp the most insubstantial beginning of an idea, he was afraid that, if he moved too quickly, it would dissolve away into nothingness. Jack - though, generally, he refused to be quiet - stayed silent as he watched his friend. Interrupting Daniel in this mood was *not* something a person did lightly.

Eventually, Daniel said, "Okay… the top passage… reads along the lines of… ‘Choose well what you ask of the portal of lost chances for some … chances should have forever remained… absent’. Well, at least it’s a start but there’s still all the other writing to translate."

Sam, who was currently running some sort of instrument down the central bands of symbols, asked, "What about *this* writing?"

"I’m not sure. The symbols aren’t in groupings like the outer writing. There are a combination of characters and numbers… but there are also four identical ideographs."

Pointing down, he indicated one of the symbols, "Snake with its tail in its mouth - generally represents infinity."

He’d said that just a second before Carter swept her instrument over the final snake of the four. After she’d done that, all the central symbols began to glow. Suddenly, a sharp yellow flash engulfed them, there was a tremendous bang and, instantly, the room was full of smoke. 

Jack coughed, "What the hell?"

Coughing, Carter replied, "Maybe I overloaded it, sir."

The room was covered in debris and there was a piece of rubble lying where the device should have been which led them to conclude that it was the rest of the device that was lying across the floor. However, there was little time to hypothesise right now since the smoke was rapidly thickening. Soon, it was so thick that they couldn’t see each other. In fact, they could barely breathe. 

Coughing, Jack grabbed Sam by the collar and wrenched her through the door. The corridor, unfortunately, was on fire. 

Jack said, "Hang on; the smoke wasn’t coming from that thing. It was coming from out here. What the hell’s going on?"

Carter went to talk but broke into a coughing fit.

"Never mind. We’ll discuss it somewhere that’s *not* currently on fire. Daniel?! Teal’c?!"

Daniel and Teal’c quickly emerged from the room and they all stumbled, coughing, down the hallway. 

Over the intercom, a voice said, "Fire in section C. Evacuate floors 16 to 19 immediately. Five minutes until emergency lockdown."

SG-1 glanced at each other. That wasn’t normal procedure. Oh well, procedures were always changing round this place. Guessing it would be a good idea *not* to be on level 19 when the ‘emergency lockdown’ happened, SG-1 raced down the stairs to level 20. Opening the door at the bottom, they were greeted by several dozen weapons shoved into their faces. Carter, who was in the lead, said, "Hey, it’s us. Weapons down."

As the crowd backed away slightly, Sam could see there was something very wrong. Though these people were wearing SGC fatigues, they were dirty and torn. Someone at the back shouted, "It’s her! He’s sent her to lead the assault!"

Jack stepped forward, "Hey, calm down. No-one’s assaulting anyone."

One of the women at the back said, "What the hell’s going on?"

Teal’c moved forward slightly causing the crowd to gasp. 

One of the men near the front said, "Don’t move, Jaffa."

Then the ragged crowd parted to let someone through. In the darkness of the barely-lit and smoky corridor it was hard to make him out. 

In a voice, hard and cold but somehow very familiar, the figure said, "That’s not just any Jaffa. That is Teal’c. No doubt this is just some new mind game. Still, don’t kill them yet. Take them to the cells. I want to question them… and would ‘Dr Jackson’, who *believes* he’s hiding in the shadows behind the door, come out now. In less than thirty seconds the door will automatically lock and the entire section will be flooded with carbon dioxide. So, unless you can hold your breath for an hour or so, I would suggest you’re *not* in there when that happens. 

Reluctantly, Daniel came through the door. If Jack, Teal’c and Sam thought they’d got a reaction out of the crowd then they were wrong. The people backed off by about ten feet and yelled in panic. 

The shady figure said, "Ignore what they look like. It’s another of her games. Just lock them up and I’ll *deal* with them as soon as the attack’s over."

Then the figure walked off. SG-1 were roughly grabbed by some of the men and led down to the cells. Jack couldn’t help but notice that Daniel had attracted a disproportionate number of guards compared to the rest of them. 

"All right," Jack snapped, "*this* place isn’t on fire so anyone feel like explaining to me what the *hell* is going on here?"

Teal’c said, "It has only been minutes since I was last on this level. I am most certain that these people were not here then. Nor was this level in such a state of disrepair."

Sam and Daniel looked at one another. Both of them obviously knew - or, at least, suspected - what was going on by the look in their eyes. 

Sam muttered, "Portal."

Daniel nodded, "Choices not taken."

Jack said, "Huh?"

"Put it like this, Jack, we’re not exactly in Kansas anymore."

>< <> >< <> ><

With a long-suffering look in his eyes, Daniel said, "The scarecrow? Jack, this is serious."

"I’m *being* serious, Daniel. If we’re in Oz then I’d like to get this all straight in my head *before* we go find the Emerald City. Carter’s Dorothy, you’re the scarecrow, Teal’c’s the lion so… guess that makes me the tin-man."

"I’m glad you could sort that urgent matter out, Jack. Now, can we *please* be serious?"

"What about the dog?"

Disbelieving, Daniel said, "Did you have a *lobotomy* while I wasn’t looking?"

"There should be a dog."

Teal’c was very confused by this whole conversation, "Why should there be a dog, O’Neill?"

"I saw the film. I *distinctly* remember a dog. Little black one called Toto."

Daniel, warningly, growled, "Jack, we are in a *lot* of trouble here. Quit screwing around."

Jack retaliated, "I *know* we’re in a lot of trouble, Daniel. I’m trying to ignore the fact or I *might* get a chronic case of ‘I told you so’ syndrome."

They both moodily lapsed into silence. SG-1 were sitting in a cell. It was even more barren than the cells they remembered and it was utterly filthy. There were no beds. There was nothing. 

Sam, eventually, volunteered a timid, "I think we’ve encountered a device similar to the Quantum mirror – possibly more advanced."

Jack sighed and rubbed a sooty hand across his stinging eyes. He was sure he’d inhaled enough smoke to cause significant damage to his throat and lungs. The burns on his arms weren’t exactly insignificant either. What he needed right now was a Doctor. What he did *not* need right now was… well, this.

"Damnit. I thought we’d had it with damn alternate realities after we destroyed the mirror. Also, the next time we find an alien doohickey, I am damn well ordering Teal’c to blast it to pieces it before either of you accidentally set it off. Oh, and Jack’s Law is damn well getting written into the damn legal code."

"Sorry, sir. This is all my fault."

"Right now, I don’t *care* whose fault it is. What I wanna know is how we get back."

"That may not be so easy, sir. The device doesn’t seem to work the same as the Quantum mirror did. We just appeared in the same place but in an alternate reality. The device must have somehow projected itself into this reality but now it’s lying in pieces on the floor of my lab." 

Daniel suggested, "But this being an alternate reality then shouldn’t there be an alternate device, as well?"

Sam locked eyes with Daniel and nodded, "Yeah… hopefully there should be… but, in this reality, I would think that the device is still on P2C 449."

Jack said, "So we have to go there then?"

"Yes, sir."

Daniel, carefully sitting down on the grimy floor, said, "Of course we *may* encounter a couple of problems."

Jack said, "Pray tell."

"Well, *if* we can get out of here and through the gate, we still don’t know how to make the device send us back to ‘our’ reality and even *if* we do get back there somehow, we don’t have a GDO."

"Daniel, considering our current situation, I say we worry about our GDO shortage later. Carter?" 

"I’m afraid Daniel’s right, sir. I don’t really know how I made it work the last time so I don’t know if I *can* get us back. There are infinite variations and it’s gonna be hard to find the right reality even if we can figure out how to turn it on again. Besides, our first problem *is* getting out of here. We *may* be able to convince them we come from an alternate reality. It all depends on whether these people are on our side or not and just how long ago this reality and ours split off from each other."

"Judging by the mess, I’d say it’s been a while."

Two men walked into the room and pointed their guns at SG-1. Once they were satisfied that no-one was going to attempt anything, they separated to make way for a third man. This one, SG-1 recognised. 

Jack said, "*Maybourne*?" 

Harry Maybourne didn’t look much like the one Jack knew. There was still a trace of that smug assurance on his face but, mostly, he just looked tired. His skin was dirty and scarred and his fatigues were torn to pieces. This one didn’t have a beard. 

He said, "He was right. The resemblance is truly amazing. So what are you? Clones? Mechanical replicas? Some type of shape-shifters?"

Sam said, "No, we’re from an alternate reality."

"You are, are you? Well that’s… interesting. Tell me, how is it that you come to be in our reality?"

"We were… I *think* we were brought here by an alien device similar - possibly more advanced - than the Quantum Mirror. You know what that is, right?"

"I am familiar with a device of that name that was destroyed a couple of years back."

"Well, this device brought us here but now it’s lying in pieces in my… in one of the labs on floor 19. You can go and see it for yourself."

"Floor 19 has been sealed for the foreseeable future."

Jack said, "Harry, just what kind of screwed up reality is this?"

"Calling me Harry, eh? Guess in your reality we were friends, huh?"

Covering his eyes with his hands before dragging his fingers backwards through his hair, Jack sarcastically replied, "Oh, yeah, real good buddies. Inseparable. They called us Starsky and Hutch. You were Hutch."

That one got a raised eyebrow from Maybourne.

"We have ways of verifying your story."

Sam said, "Good because then you’ll know we’re telling the truth."

Jack added, "Except for the bit about us being friends, of course. That was just sarcasm."

Sam and Maybourne had never gotten along even in their reality but it was usually her that was giving him the look of death. Here though, he kept glaring over at her and it was quite clear that he’d quite happily put a bullet in her head right now if he wasn’t so curious who she really was. 

"Then you won’t mind coming with me, ‘Major Carter’."

Jack stood up as Maybourne went to reach out for Carter’s arm, "Hey, Harry, where you taking her?"  
  
"Nothing to worry about, ‘Starsky’; just a little medical examination."

Sam, reluctantly, let herself be led from the room by Maybourne. The guards walked back out and the door was locked.

Jack said, "You know, so far, I’m not liking this reality. D’you know what I don’t like about it? Everything. Especially the part with Maybourne in it."

Teal’c said, "He has assisted you in several matters in recent months."

"Yeah, after using me to get himself out of prison. He *owed* me. I still don’t trust him enough to turn my back on him and this guy looks a lot like the *old* Maybourne. Everyone here remember him? Ya know the one I’m talking about, Teal’c? The one you were within your rights to dismember?"

Teal’c’s face darkened, "Indeed."

>< <> >< <> ><

Sam was strapped into a chair by Maybourne. 

She said, "I thought you said this was a medical?"

Pressing something that felt like the Goa’uld recall device into her temple, he said, "Well, there’s a doctor involved."

"What’re you doing?"

"Me? I’ve got nothing to do with this. I’m just waiting for the Doctor to arrive."

A strangely familiar female voice at the door said, "You don’t need to wait, Maybourne. I’m here."

With her head secured to the chair by the rough leather binding, Sam couldn’t turn to see who had entered. All she was aware of was Maybourne giving a sarcastic bow to whoever it was. 

He said, "She’s all yours."

"Maybourne, what d’you think you’re playing at? I’m in charge of this. He specifically told *you* to keep out of it."

"And I would if *he’d* deal with it but if he’s going to leave it all to Miss Bleeding-Heart then I am definitely keeping an eye on proceedings."

"I’d keep an eye on my ass if I were you. You brought her here without so much as a hood to cover her face. He wants you down there *now*."

Nodding, Maybourne hurried for the door and out of Sam’s restricted view. Obviously, he had to pass the woman to leave the room. 

Presumably as he did so, the woman said sweetly, "Oh, and Maybourne…?"

Sam heard a thump and a quiet murmur of pain from Maybourne. 

Menacingly, the woman murmured, "Call me that again and I break your arm. You know I can."

Sounding like he was speaking through gritted teeth, Maybourne replied, "Little touchy today, aren’t we?"

The woman sighed, "Just go see him before I finish counting to ten, all right?"

Maybourne obviously left after that as Sam could hear hurried footsteps echoing away down the corridor. She heard a sharper set of footsteps growing nearer as the woman finally came in. She was walking over to the other side of the room. As she came into Sam’s line of sight, Sam gasped. Despite the fact she’d been talking to her earlier that very same day, it took a while for her to recognise the face of Janet Fraiser. Her hair was cut cruelly short, she had a haggard expression of someone who hadn’t slept for so long that they were beginning to forget what it felt like and she was wearing a pair of dirty and torn fatigues. Her expression was a lot older than that of the Janet that Sam knew. 

"Janet?"

Coldly, Janet ignored her and pulled the covering sheet off of a familiar device.

"The Zatarg detector?"

"Zatarg?"

Realising this reality’s Tok’ra must never have encountered Zatargs, Sam said, "Never mind. A lie-detector then?"

"In a way. Look directly here and keep your eyes focused on it."

Obediently, Sam did so. After a few control questions, Janet said, "Okay, now tell me your name and the names of the other three who came here with you."

"I’m Major Samantha Carter. The others are Colonel Jack O’Neill, Dr Daniel Jackson and Teal’c. "

"How did you get here?"

"We were transported through an alien device to this alternate reality."

Janet cocked her head to the side in a mannerism that struck Sam as familiar though she was sure she’d never seen it on Janet before. Then a gleam of realisation appeared in the Doc’s eye. Her cold expression melted and was replaced by one that was halfway between grief and happiness.

Looking up from the device’s screen, she said, "So it *is* you. *He* suspected it but *I* wasn’t convinced until now."

"Sure it’s me. Janet, what’s going on?"

"I’ll answer your questions later. First you answer mine. You’re from an alternate reality, right?"

"Yeah."

"How? The Quantum Mirror was destroyed a couple of years ago."

"We didn’t come through the Quantum Mirror. We found another device like it. It projects you into the alternate reality but it blew itself to pieces the second we got here."

"Hold on… that means you can’t get home, surely? Why, in god’s name, did you want to come here?"

"We didn’t mean to. I accidentally set off the device."

"So you’re stuck here now?"

"Not necessarily. See, we think the device’s double is back on the planet where we found it. We need to go there."

"That won’t be so easy. You see, what’s going on is that you’ve just walked straight into hell. Getting back out? Well, let’s just say that a lot of people wanna go with you because this reality… especially on this ball of rock… is not a fun place to be."

"What happened here? Who’s the base under attack from?"

"If you’re from a reality that isn’t in the state this one is then I’m not sure if you’ve even heard of him. He’s a Goa’uld. His name is Amon."

Sam didn’t recognise the name. She made a mental note to ask Daniel. 

Janet said, "Earth has been his for nearly three years now. Over four billion people are dead and most of the others have been scattered across the galaxy. Amon has built himself an empire."

"Three years?!"

"It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it, Sam?"

"So you *do* believe us?"

"I don’t have to. The detector shows you aren’t lying… but… yes, I believe you."

As Janet switched off the machine, Sam asked, "So what happened to… us? Are *we* dead? Is that why they all reacted so oddly when they saw us?"

Janet’s expression grew tearful. She attempted to speak a few times then gave up. She dropped her head to the ground.

When she looked up, her face was stony calm and she spoke with the twinned voice of a Goa’uld, "COLONEL O’NEILL AND TEAL’C ARE BOTH DEAD."

She dropped the voice as she saw the fear in Sam’s eyes, "Sorry, I should’ve told you I was Tok’ra before I let her speak like that but I still find it hard to... you… do… *know* the Tok’ra, right?"

"We… know the Tok’ra but… you aren’t one in our reality."

"Ah, then I’ll let her introduce herself… MY NAME IS ANISE."

"Anise? What happened to Freya?"

The expression on Janet’s face became solemn, "SO WE MET IN YOUR REALITY ALSO… FREYA AND JANET WERE BOTH INJURED TWO YEARS AGO WHEN ONE OF THE JAFFA PATROLS MADE IT PAST OUR PERIMETER DEFENCES AND REACHED THE INFIRMARY. FREYA’S WOUNDS WERE FATAL - EVEN WITH MY ABILITY TO HEAL; I COULD NOT HAVE SAVED HER. JANET WOULD HAVE DIED OF HER WOUNDS ALSO BUT I WAS ABLE TO BLEND WITH HER AND SAVE HER LIFE. I can’t pretend it’s been easy – the two of us didn’t exactly get along beforehand – but I’m more than used to having her now. I have to admit that being Tok’ra has a lot of advantages when you’re a Doctor. Not the least of which is being able to use the Goa’uld healing device given the lack of medical supplies we can lay our hands on."

"Wait, the Colonel and Teal’c are dead but what about me? If I’m not dead, I’m…?"

Janet untied Sam’s restraints, "You’re… well, you’re on this planet… at least, our latest intelligence *suggests* so."

"I’m not going to like this next part am I?"

"I WOULD NOT BELIEVE SO. MAJOR CARTER, IN THIS REALITY, YOU HAVE BEEN HOST TO THE QUEEN OF AMON FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. A GOA’ULD NAMED ASTARTE."

The news was so shocking that she totally forgot to ask about Daniel’s fate. 

>< <> >< <> ><

"Dead?"

"Janet says so, sir. I didn’t ask how."

"Good, cuz I *really* don’t wanna know. So we’re all dead here?"

"No, just you and Teal’c."

"So you’re not?"

"Well, no, sir but… I’m a Goa’uld, sir."

Jack backed off slightly, "Oh."

Sam had already filled them in on what little she knew of the terrifying fate of this reality. All three looked rather shocked by the latest news. She watched them all look at each other with a shared thought. The message clear in all their eyes was: ‘if we get back to our reality then we do *not* let that happen to our Sam’. She smiled gently at them. 

Jack said, "What about Daniel?"

Daniel looked up in surprise. The announcement by Sam had chilled him right to his core and driven thoughts of his own fate far from his mind.

Sam shrugged, "I… don’t know. I forgot to ask. I guess he’s alive. I’m sorry, Daniel. After she said I was a Goa’uld, I couldn’t think of anything else. Being taken over by Jolinar was bad enough - and she was a Tok’ra. Just the thought that that could *actually* happen to me…I think I would’ve been less frightened if she’d told me I was dead."

Shaking the thought from her mind, she continued, "Daniel, the Goa’uld’s name is Amon. His queen’s name is Astarte. Sound familiar?"

Nodding, Daniel replied, "Yeah, he was worshipped as a fertility god at Thebes in Upper Egypt. Also considered to be one of the creator deities when combined with Ra. She was a goddess of war…"

Jack cut him off, "Any more recent intel?"

Daniel nodded, "As a matter of fact, yeah. Nothing on Astarte but… when I was reading that background information the Tok’ra gave me when I posed as Yu’s lo’taur, I vaguely remember reading that Amon had been conquered by Sokar and was serving under him when we killed him and Apophis seized control. Pretty sure he’s dead now."

Sam said, "Maybe that’s what’s different in this reality. Maybe Apophis was killed on the ship and Amon seized control instead."

Jack replied, "Hold it, are you saying *Apophis* saved the world?"

"Not *intentionally*, sir… but, yeah, he actually might have."

Any more discussion of earth’s unlikely saviour was going to have to be put on hold, however, because the guards were coming back in again. Janet was with them. The boys had all been informed that she was now host to Anise. She looked upset as she walked into the room. 

She said, "Colonel O’Neill, Teal’c, Dr Jackson. I’m sure Major Carter has done her best to explain the situation to you. You have to understand that this isn’t easy for me… seeing you all together like this brings back a lot of very painful memories."

Sam said, "We understand. We’re sorry that we’ve forced you to go through this."

Jack said, "Unfortunately, we need your help. We need to get through the gate."

Janet replied, "I’d send you, gladly, but I don’t have the authority to let you through the gate."

"Can you take us to see someone who does have the authority?"

"All right. I suppose I could take you … and Dr Jackson but the others will have to stay here."

"Why?"

"For their own safety, Colonel. He’s Jaffa and she looks like Astarte. There are a lot of trigger-happy people in this base who’ll shoot first and say ‘oops she wasn’t the Goa’uld’ after. Maybourne should never have taken her out of here like he did. Now could you please follow me?"

>< <> >< <> ><

As they walked down the corridor with the guards behind them, Daniel asked, "So where are you taking us?"

Anise replied, "TO OBTAIN ACCESS TO THE STARGATE, YOU WILL NEED AUTHORISATION FROM OUR LEADER. I AM TAKING YOU TO SEE HIM."

Jack asked, "Anyone we know? Please tell me it’s *not* Maybourne."

"IT IS NOT."

She dipped her head slightly and Janet continued, "It’s Daniel."

Daniel said, "It is? I am? Huh?"

Jack was equally confused. However, his heart began to sing. If Daniel was in charge round here then Carter’d have herself a pair of ruby slippers in no time. In less than an hour, she’d be clicking her heels together and they’d be on the express flight back to Kansas with some courage for Teal’c, a brain for Daniel and a heart for him whilst they were at it. If they were really good, they might even get a bucket of water to melt Maybourne with - not that Jack was choosy; a farmhouse to drop on him would be just as good. 

Janet smiled slightly, "You’ll understand why when you meet him. I do have to warn you, though, that Daniel is not someone you mess with."

Jack looked over at Daniel in surprise. He noted that his friend looked just as bewildered.

"I’m not?" Daniel said confusedly.

Janet managed another faint smile, "You seem a lot like what he used to be like before everything went to hell. These last few years have… changed him a lot. They’ve changed all of us. Now, wait here. I didn’t tell him I was bringing you down here so this should be ‘fun’."

Obediently halting, they watched her head into the room. 

After a moment or two, Maybourne walked out of the office. Jack noticed that he had a bruise spreading up his cheek and was limping slightly on his left leg. Those injuries hadn’t been there when they’d seen him before.

Jack asked, "What happened to you?"

Maybourne was glowering deeply. When Jack spoke to him, his head shot up angrily and he saw Jack and Daniel standing there. He unholstered his gun and lifting it up, struck the handle against Daniel’s cheek so hard that Daniel fell over. 

Jack growled, "You son of a…"

He quietened as Maybourne levelled the gun at him.

Looking down at the stricken Daniel, Maybourne said, "Nothing personal, Dr Jackson."

With that, Maybourne savagely kicked Daniel in the stomach and sniggered slightly, "You’re just wearing the wrong face, that’s all."

As he wandered off down the corridor, Jack bent down next to his friend. Daniel was curled up and groaning heavily.

"Daniel, y’okay?"

Painfully pulling himself to sitting position, he wiped the blood from his mouth and, clutching at his abdomen replied, "I think I’ll live. What the hell was that all about?"

Jack didn’t have the chance to reply as they were called in. Helping Daniel to his feet, Jack supported his friend as they walked into the room. Rubbing his bruised jaw, Daniel tried to ignore the burgeoning pain in his abdomen. Having already been to two alternate realities where his alternate self had been absent, Daniel had often wondered what it would be like to meet a different version of yourself. He’d once met a robot clone of himself but they’d been so identical it’d been like looking in a mirror. Sam, who had been through the experience, had been unable to really describe the feeling. Teal’c, who’d actually *killed* ‘himself’ was a man of few words so Daniel really had no idea what this would be like. To see what you’d be like if you’d just taken a couple of different turns… Well, he was about to find out…

Walking in, they saw Janet standing beside a man with extremely short hair, an old black T-shirt and a pair of dirty combats. It looked like Daniel in so far as you could recognise that they were the same person but this Daniel had a multitude of scars across his muscled arms and an expression of such ruthless determination as Jack had never seen on anyone before. 

‘Daniel’ was muttering something angrily at Janet. 

She calmly replied, "You should’ve said."

"Oh don’t give me that. I… oh, forget it. Fine, I’ll hear them but I’m making no promises."

Janet gestured acceptingly. Rebel Daniel looked round at the two of them. His eyes locked with Jack’s for a second and, in that instant, Jack *knew* that, however his double had died; this Daniel had blamed himself for it. Quickly though, the rebel turned his gaze away and his features took back on their original harshness. He sat down heavily on a chair.

Janet had noticed the bruising on Daniel’s face and his hunched posture. Coming over, she said, "What happened?"

Jack growled, "Maybourne attacked him for no reason. Said it wasn’t personal; he was just wearing the wrong face."

Playing distractedly with a knife, Rebel Daniel said, "He was wearing *my* face - which is definitely the wrong face to be wearing when Maybourne’s about."

"Maybourne looked like he had a few bruises of his own."

"Don’t tell me that you *care* what happens to Maybourne, Jack? Surely no reality’s *that* alternate."

"I care that he took it out on my friend."

Janet said, "I better take him down to the Infirmary. I think Maybourne’s cracked a rib or two."

Still focused on the blade in his hands, Rebel Daniel replied, "If you see Maybourne then remind him that I’m rapidly running out of reasons not to kill him."

Janet nodded and headed off with Daniel. Rebel Daniel turned his attention to Jack.

"So, you’re from another reality? I shouldn’t have been surprised seeing as he…"

He absently gestured the knife in the direction of the door, "… was with you. I’ve always seemed to have a knack for wandering off into other realities."

"Daniel, we need to use the gate to reach the device that can send us back to our reality. Can we use it?"

"What? No, ‘Jack’, you can’t. I’ve got more important things to worry about than getting some lost tourists back home. In case it escaped your attention, we’re currently under attack. Our shields wouldn’t be able to hold."

"‘Our shields’? The SGC has shielding?"

"Don’t you? Surely your people have been able to advance further technologically than we have."

"We don’t have shielding."

‘Daniel’ snapped, "Well, neither will we if we open the gate. Besides, we’re expecting incoming and they don’t appreciate getting a busy signal. The answer is ‘no’."

"Who died and put you in charge?" It was out before Jack had had time to think it through. There were times he wished that his mouth would quit overtaking his brain.

Darkly, Daniel replied, "Who *died*? *You* did, Jack. Two years ago."

Laying the knife down, he began to advance towards Jack. Jack was used to his Daniel doing this when he was angry. However, there was something else in this Daniel’s eyes that told Jack that he really shouldn’t push his luck.

Ignoring this feeling, Jack sullenly said, "Well, I want to speak to the manager."

Still advancing towards Jack, Daniel said, "Oh, you do, do you?"

Now so close that Jack was finding himself backing off, ‘Daniel’ snarled and lunged forward. He smashed Jack up against the wall and growled, "Well, what little remains of the ruling council of the Tau’ri-Tok’ra alliance is currently on the other side of the galaxy; there’s no president and no structure of government on earth other than the rule of Amon and Astarte. I am the last court of appeal and, as far as you’re concerned ‘Jack’, I am king, president and supreme emperor. Basically, if you were hoping to go over my head then you are *royally* screwed."

Daniel released him and walked across the room. Jack rubbed his neck painfully. This Daniel had a grip like a vice. 

Trying not to cause ‘Daniel’ to lose it again, Jack calmly said, "What about after the attack is over? Could we use it then?"

‘Daniel’ turned quickly towards him and his expression, if anything, darkened even more, "When the ‘attack is over’, there will be another attack and another. Amon wants control of the gate. He wants to crush the resistance. He won’t stop. He hasn’t for the last three years so I see no reason why he’s going to stop now. Of course, if that’s too *inconvenient* for you, I’ll just call him and ask if he can hold off for a few minutes whilst I get you lot back on your tour bus."

Figuring that this Daniel had had a hard time of it, Jack decided to be a little less sarcastic, "So what happened here?"

"What happened? Amon happened. He came with a fleet of motherships and wiped out every major city. We’d known he was coming for months but the best we’d been able to do was evacuate some people through the gate. It was slaughter. That was it. That was the final chapter in the Book of the Tau’ri. Now there’s nothing left but the few of us he hasn’t managed to enslave yet." 

"So how did you become… their leader?"

"Like I said, you died."

"What happened to the General?"

"Hammond? Oh, no doubt he’s still alive wherever the Tau’ri-Tok’ra council have decided to hide themselves for the last year and a half. He and his family left earth over three years ago so he could go take his place on the council. You took command of the base. Then you got killed and I got left in charge."

"But you’re civilian."

"There’s no ‘civilian’ anymore. There’re just rebels and slaves. There’s no ‘military’; no ‘protocol’; no ‘duty’; no ‘honour’. There’s only survival."

"Daniel, forgive me for this, but, even *if* the past few years have been different, you’re still ‘Daniel’. Why are *you* in charge?"

For a second, ‘Daniel’ looked like he was going to get angry again but, instead, he quietly said, "I’m in charge because I’m the only one who can be."

He turned back round to Jack again, "I’ve been fighting this enemy longer than most people have even known he existed. I’m pretty much the only person in existence qualified to conduct meetings in twelve languages – including two alien ones. Besides, they needed someone who knew this place inside out and who the Tok’ra and Jaffa trusted. We’ve been… betrayed too many times."

Jack looked at the ground and then glanced back up, "Look, I know *I’m* not the Jack O’Neill who was your friend…"

Daniel’s eyes brushed the ground, "No, you’re not."

Thinking that maybe this was the way to get through to Daniel, Jack said, "What happened to him?"

"Didn’t Janet tell you?"

"She told Carter I was dead but Carter didn’t ask what happened."

"But you wanna know?"

He didn’t really but replied, "Call it a morbid curiosity."

Daniel shrugged, "Two years ago, you might have recognised this place. Earth was already ruled by Amon but we’d managed to keep him out of here with the enhanced shields that Thor rigged up for us."

"Wait, hold on a minute… Thor? He rigged you up a shield?"

"Yeah, better than our old Tollan one. See, Thor’s ship was hijacked by these metal bugs called replicators. They brought it to earth. Amon’s defence grid blew the ship out of the sky but not before he transported off the only Azgarde still on board - Thor. Our spies in Amon’s ranks managed to retrieve him and bring him here. His presence made us even more of a target so he boosted our shields for us using an old Ancients trick of hooking it to the Stargate."

"Is he still here? He might know a way for us to get home."

"He’s here… but he’s in a state of suspended animation. We don’t have the medical technology to treat him."

"So send him back to the Azgarde."

For a moment, Daniel looked sad, "We can’t. A week or so after Thor’s arrival, we received a pre-recorded message from the Azgarde The Azgarde homeworld was overrun by the same metal bugs that were on Thor’s ship. We don’t even know if there are any other Azgarde left."

Deciding to find out more about Thor later, Jack said, "So what happened? Here, I mean."

"Our shields were holding so well that we and the Tok’ra got enough breathing space to start planning a joint assault on his fleet but… some Jaffa got into the base and tried to get control of the gate. We managed to drive them back but… they snatched Sam. Our Jack tried to stop them from taking her but he was killed trying."

"And you ended up running this place."

"What was left of it. The Jaffa did a lot of damage before we drove them out."

"Was that how Teal’c died as well? In the attack?"

An even darker shadow passed over Daniel’s face, "In the attack? No, Teal’c *survived* the attack. He wasn’t killed in the heat of battle. He was killed by *our* side. He was shot in the back by some cowardly idiot."

"What? Who the hell…?"

Daniel turned away again, "I don’t know for sure who it was. A lot of people here hated Teal’c because they’d lost everything because of Amon’s Jaffa but odds are that it was one of Maybourne’s men."

"That son of a… he had Teal’c killed? Why the hell are you still working with the guy?!"

Daniel had been somewhere between depression and calm but Jack’s outburst caused the undercurrent of rage to surface again, "I hate Maybourne with every fibre of my being. I *know* he had Teal’c killed and I wasn’t able to stop him… but you still don’t get it, do you ‘Jack’? I don’t have a choice. Maybourne’s too valuable to kill in vengeance for what he did. I don’t *get* choices anymore \- not *real* choices. I used to try and do the right thing…"

He laughed mirthlessly, "Sounds so hollow now… ‘The right thing’. I used to believe in that. I used to know what that meant before this reality went to hell. Now… now there’re just options and they’re all wrong. Every choice I make means that someone suffers. The *best* you can even *hope* for is damage limitation. Kill someone to stop them killing others; let a dozen people die in the hopes another thousand won’t."

Jack was quiet. He watched as Daniel paced across the room. 

His expression had hardened again, "But enough with my life story. The answer is still no."

He pressed a button and a man came running in.

"Take him back to the cell."

"Look, Daniel, I get it. You’re not into charity cases. That’s fair enough. Maybe we could help you out somehow? We help you and you let us use the gate?"

Daniel thought about it, "I’ll consider it. When the attack is over."

>< <> >< <> ><

Jack arrived back at the cell. Sam and Teal’c instantly stood up and came over to see him.

Sam asked, "What happened?"

"I… just met ‘Daniel’."

"He… he’s *here*?"

Jack nodded dumbly.

Sam’s face brightened, "That’s great. He’ll definitely help us."

"No, he won’t."

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, he’s the one in charge around here and he’s not letting us use the gate."

"What? Why not?"

"He says the ‘shields’ won’t hold."

"Shields?"

"Apparently, they have some sort of shielding around the base."

"Really? That’s incredible. How were they able to develop that kind of technology? We aren’t even *close* to developing it yet."

Jack decided he couldn’t be bothered with an explanation right now so he shrugged, "He didn’t say."

Teal’c asked, "Where is Daniel Jackson, O’Neill?"

Jack looked puzzled for a minute before replying, "Oh. Our Daniel’s in the Infirmary."

"For what reason?"

"Well, the Daniel here roughed Maybourne up so he did the same to our Daniel."

Concerned, Sam asked, "Is he all right?"

"He’s got a few bruises and a couple of cracked ribs but he’s okay."

After a pause, Sam said, "Sir, we really *are* going to have to get out of here soon."

Jack, sitting down on the grubby floor, stretched out and replied, "I am in *no* way disagreeing with you, Major. I am very much in favour of getting the hell out of here at the *earliest* opportunity."

"No, sir, that wasn’t what I was talking about. D’you remember when Dr Carter and Major Kawalsky came through the Mirror? Dr Carter started experiencing entropic failure far earlier than she’d predicted because there were two of us in one reality?"

Jack slowly brought himself up to sitting position again, "There’s another ‘you’ in this reality - even if she is a Goa’uld - and, hell, Daniel just *met* himself. So you two are…?"

"Probably running out of time very fast, sir."

"How long?"

"Let’s just say I’d be surprised if one of us didn’t get one of those ‘tremors’ in the next couple of days."

>< <> >< <> ><

Daniel’s ribs were feeling pleasantly unbroken after Anise had given him the once-over with the healing device.

Anise asked, "IS THAT BETTER, DR JACKSON?"

He nodded. Janet said, "I’m sorry about Maybourne."

She left through the side-door just as ‘Daniel’ walked in the main door.

"Anise, I need… oh, *you’re* still here."

Daniel, levelly, replied, "Yeah."

"So, Dr Jackson, tell me how great it is to live in your perfect universe."

"It’s not perfect."

"Are you trying to make me believe that it’s as screwed-up as this reality?"

"Not yet… but the screwing up’s just been delayed. There is a Goa’uld called Anubis quickly rising to power in our galaxy and he’s already tried to destroy earth more than once."

Rebel Daniel shrugged that off as if attempts to destroy earth counted for nothing. 

Instead, he said, "When all your friends are dead or Goa’ulded and you’ve watched the slaughter of billions of people … then you can tell me your reality’s made it in the screwed-up stakes."

"Look, I’m not suggesting…"

"Yes, that’s right… be ‘placating’ and ‘rational’ and ‘reasonable’… God, I *am* you so I already know this routine and I’m not falling for it."

"Falling for what?"

"First you try rational; then you try pleading; maybe a little anger after that; then an impassioned speech about how many people this will kill or how ‘disappointed’ you are that the other person’s acting like they are. And, then, if all else fails: start stuttering as you yell, jump up and down and throw your arms about like a lunatic."

Angry eyes levelled themselves at Daniel as Rebel Daniel continued, "Go on, try it. Tell me that you understand. Tell me how you’ve suffered too."

Daniel didn’t reply for a while. Eventually, though, he said, "Do you have a problem with me?"

"A problem? Yeah, I have a problem, all right. You’re like looking into the mirror and seeing the past. You remind me of everything I used to be. You represent *everything* I used to believe in. I was a blind, stupid fool then and you’re still one now. I have a problem with you because you haven’t had to live these past few years in this reality. I have a problem that you think that you’re better than me - more *right* or something. Don’t bother saying you don’t either because I *know* that you do. I’ll tell you this for free - shall I *Dr* Jackson? – if your ‘Anubis’ ever *seriously* turns his attention to the earth in your reality, all the high moral standards and sanctimonious bull in the Universe won’t stop him from burning every major city to the ground. It won’t stop four billion Tau’ri being slaughtered in the first attack. It won’t even save your friends."

"I can’t believe you and I were the same person just a few years ago."

"Of course you don’t. I terrify you, Doc. I’m everything in Jack and Teal’c that you dislike with none of their redeeming qualities. I’m like all those N.I.D. guys that you hate and mistrust. It’d destroy you to believe that you could *ever* sink as low as I have. I know it would because I used to be you and, let me tell you, Doc, you do *have* these depths and you *will* sink to them. I bet you’ve still got those stupid notions about the enduring power of the human spirit… Perhaps I should tell you about the followers of Amon…"

"Followers?"

"Yeah, there are over twenty million of them on earth alone. A lot of them are just too scared to rebel - they’d rather be slaves than die - but there are some of them who’ve sent word to the Jaffa of hidden Tau’ri bases just to get themselves power and favour with Amon. A member of the SGC… someone from *here* let the Jaffa in here two years ago. Hell, some of them even believe that he *is* God. Amon doesn’t just have Jaffa and other Goa’ulds working for him; he has an army of humans as well. We’re pathetic. After the original destruction, most people didn’t bond together against a common enemy - they squabbled for what little power they could like a swarm of Goa’ulds. See, you like thinking of the Goa’uld as the ‘bad guys’ but us Tau’ri have the capacity for as much greed and malice as any Goa’uld and we can’t blame it on genetics. Tau’ri aren’t ‘The Good Guys’ - they’re mostly just cowardly, weak, self-important, greedy, *mortal* creatures. The only thing that really, *truly*, separates us from the Goa’uld is that they have power and we don’t. No good guys; no bad guys. There’s no right or wrong."

"You can live like that?"

"I can survive like that. And here, survival’s all that counts."

>< <> >< <> ><

Janet walked Daniel back to the cell.

She said, "He’s not as heartless as he pretends to be, you know."

"Yeah, well, he fooled me pretty good."

"I understand what it must seem like to you but you haven’t lived through what we have. What he has. It changed us all. Him most of all."

They’d reached the cell. Unlocking the door, Janet said, "Before you judge him, remember that, if you had lived in this reality, that *would* be you."

With that, she gestured for him to enter.

As the door thunked shut behind him, Daniel looked round at his friends. They looked pleased to see him in one piece.

Jack said, "You all right, Daniel?"

"Yeah."

"What happened to all the…"

Jack gestured vaguely around his own face. Daniel guessed he was asking what had happened to the bruising so he replied, "The healing device. Janet’s a Tok’ra here, remember?"

After a pause, Daniel added, "I take it ‘I’ won’t let us use the gate."

"Not as yet. I asked if maybe we could help out, somehow, in exchange for using the gate. He says he’s considering it."

>< <> >< <> ><

Sam was asleep. She lay curled against Daniel’s side. Daniel was sitting up with his knees drawn in nearly to his chest and his arms draped across them. Teal’c was sitting, cross-legged, as he meditated. Jack was sitting across from the door. 

He looked over at his friend and said quietly, "Daniel?"

Wearily, Daniel looked up, "Yeah?"

"When *you* say you’ll *consider* something do you normally *mean* it?"

"Me? Yes. If, however, you’re referring to ‘him’ then I would guess that, seeing as we have now been sitting here for nearly twelve hours, no, he didn’t mean it."

Jack fell into silence for a minute then said, "You know, I’ve *still* never met myself. You’ve all done it now."

Daniel said, "I’ve been curious about what it would feel like ever since I went through the Quantum Mirror that first time. Take it from someone who’s now done it: it’s an experience well worth missing."

"You know what’s weird?"

"Everything?"

"Okay, you know what’s *really* weird?"

"What?"

"Alternate realities. The ones we know about are always worse than our one. Why is that?"

"Chance, I suppose. I’d hate to think that our reality is as good as it gets."

They heard footsteps. As the door began to open, Sam and Teal’c roused themselves. The metal door swung out of the way to reveal the form of the rebel Daniel. Sam and Teal’c were taken aback by how different to their Daniel this one looked. 

Jack was watching the rebel’s face carefully. He saw a flicker of guilt cross it as he looked at Teal’c and a pronounced shadow of anger cloud it when his gaze drifted over Carter. 

"It’s your lucky day, people. An opportunity has arisen for you to help our cause and buy your tickets out of here."

Jack said, "Great. What is it?"

Daniel splayed his palm and asked, "Do you know what this is?"

Sam stood up and approached him, "It looks like a Goa’uld Vocume. Smaller but it’s the same basic design." 

"Yes. That’s exactly what it is. This one was just delivered to us by the enemy a few hours ago…"

He clicked it then set it down in the centre of the room. A human-sized figure appeared above it. It was female. She was adorned in a very sensual gold and black dress with silver jewellery dripping off of her like water. Her hair was a cascade of beautiful blonde that stretched just beyond shoulder height. The darkly kohled eyes were a piercing blue. 

Almost simultaneously, the three SG-1 boys said:

"Major Carter?"

"Carter?"

"Sam?"

Sam was just staring at ‘herself’. She might be evil but *wow* did she look amazing. It took her a few moments to remind herself that she was a Goa’uld here.

She breathed, "Holy Hannah."

Then the figure became animate. The eyes glowed briefly. 

It said, "DANIEL, YOU ARE NOT A FOOL, YOU KNOW THAT MY MASTER *WILL* TAKE THE GATE FROM YOU. THE GRAND FLEET APPROACHES. YOUR SHIELDS MAY WITHSTAND THE ATTACK FOR A TIME BUT IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE YOUR ENERGY RESOURCES ARE DEPLETED. YOU DO NOT NEED TO DIE ALONG WITH THE OTHERS. ACCEPT YOUR FATE, DANIEL. YOU KNOW WHAT HE HAS OFFERED YOU. YOU COULD RULE EVERYTHING. SIMPLY ACCEPT YOUR FATE."

Then rebel Daniel shut it off. 

Teal’c asked, "What has Amon offered you?"

Rebel Daniel laughed coldly, "Offered me? Amon has *offered* that I become his host. He’s so set on ‘offering’ it to me that there is a price on my head ten times that on the head of any Tok’ra."

Daniel stuttered, "T…ten times?"

His rebel counterpart said, "Hell of a lot more than a day’s rations, huh?"

Daniel remembered when they’d been captured by the bounty hunter who’d jokingly said that he was only worth a day’s rations. Ten times the bounty for a Tok’ra?

"Why you? Why does he want you?"

"Not something I feel the need to tell you, ‘Doc’."

Teal’c said, "You stated that there was an opportunity to assist your cause, Daniel Jackson."

Rebel Daniel looked at Teal’c again and, for the first time, a gentle smile drifted across his face. Quickly smothering it, he said, "Yes, I did. I must ask for Major Carter’s assistance."

Sam said, "Of course. Anything, I can do."

"Janet gave you a robe when she brought you back here?"

Nodding, Sam reached for it.

"Good. I need to take you through the corridors so you’ll have to keep your face hidden."

Sam slipped the crimson robe over her head. Pulling up the hood, she asked, "So what have I to do?"

"I’ll explain but not here. Come on. The rest of you stay here."

>< <> >< <> ><

"You can take your hood down now, Major Carter."

Looking around the empty room, Sam asked, "Why did you bring me here?"

"Because if they’d heard what I want you to do then they’d have stopped you."

"Well they’re not here, so are you going to tell me what it is?"

Not looking round at her, ‘Daniel’ said, "When we received the Vocume, we contacted all our scouts to find out if anyone knew the position of the approaching fleet Astarte was talking about. One of our Tok’ra scouts told us that there *are* a group of motherships heading towards earth. They represent the better part of Amon’s entire fleet. We have it on good authority that Amon is currently on the other side of the galaxy so Astarte will be the highest authority around. Now we have a cargo vessel that we want to send out to meet the fleet with you on board. Once on board the lead ship, the plan is to wait until the ships enter orbit then use a doctored information crystal we’ve spent several months designing to screw up their targeting computers so that they blow themselves up. With that proportion of his fleet gone, Amon will have to worry about the other Goa’ulds again. Might even give us the breathing space we need to retake earth. This is why we need your help, Major. Do this for us and we’ll send you where you want to go."

"Would I be going alone?"

"No, you’ll have a Jaffa escort. Luckily for you, these particular Jaffa are on our side. Now, do you speak fluent Goa’uld?"

"Sorry, ‘kree’ is about as much as I know."

Still not making eye-contact, ‘Daniel’ said, "I didn’t think you did, somehow. Well, with Thor’s help, the Tok’ra and I managed to design a device that translates spoken Goa’uld into English. It goes into your ear so, with the hair extensions, it shouldn’t be noticeable. Unfortunately, we can’t reply for you so you’ll have to learn enough Goa’uld so as not to arouse suspicion."

"What about my voice?"

"We’ll give you a voice distorter. You’ll sound enough like a Goa’uld to fool the Jaffa. Now, tell me, are you willing to do this or are you and your friends going to spend the rest of your lives here?" 

Sam replied, "All right. I’ll do it."

On hearing her reply, ‘Daniel’ looked at her for the first time. Sam backed away from that haunting gaze. Daniel’s gentle blue eyes were so different from the dull, lifeless orbs of this rebel leader. It told her almost everything she needed to know about this Daniel. 

"Good. I’ll take you to meet your escort. Put your hood back up."

>< <> >< <> ><

Jack looked down at his watch, "She’s been gone a long time now."

Looking morosely at the ground, Daniel said, "We shouldn’t have let him take her."

Teal’c said, "I do not believe that he would allow harm to come to her, Daniel Jackson."

"You don’t get it, Teal’c. He doesn’t care… God, I hope she’s all right."

Their conversation died as the door began to open. 

After a slight pause, Maybourne appeared in the cell, "Dr Jackson, come with me."

Daniel warily got up off the floor, "Why? What for?"

"I appear to have a gun pointing at you and two armed men standing behind me - neither of which, I might add, has a great love for Jaffa. So unless you want me to give them free reign then I think you should just come with me with fewer questions."

Jack asked, "Where’re you taking him?"

"He’s required."

"What’s your Daniel want with our one?"

"I’m not at liberty to say. *Now*, Dr Jackson."

Wearily, Daniel nodded and turned to the others, "I’ll see if I can convince him. I doubt it. He *really* doesn’t like me."

Jack said, "He’s been through a lot but there must be some of *you* in him somewhere still."

Maybourne clicked the safety off of his gun, "Inspiring stuff. Now, move it, Dr Jackson."

With that, Daniel was led out. The other two sat in silence for a while. Teal’c settled down to perform Kel’noreem. Jack rubbed his neck, nervously. Both of them gone now. He flipped open his watch. 15:01. One minute had passed since Daniel had left. Over five hours since Carter had been taken. He flipped it closed and stared at the wall for a while.

15:10. Ten minutes and still no sign. Jack flipped it closed.

15: 13. He wished someone would tell him what was going on. He flipped his watch closed again.

15:21. Still no sign of either of his friends. Stupid watch. He flipped it closed again. 

About ten minutes later, he went to flip his watch open, again, but stopped when he heard footsteps. After the door was unlocked, Janet walked in.

"Colonel O’Neill, I wanted to…"

She trailed off as she looked about the room. It wasn’t a very big cell and there was absolutely nothing to obscure the view.

Confused, she asked, "Where’s Dr Jackson?"

Jack, equally confused, said, "Maybourne took him to see your Daniel a half hour ago."

"What?!"

She scanned the ground for a minute and then ran outside the cell and grabbed up the phone.

"I want all security outposts sealed. Do not allow Maybourne to exit the base. Clear?"

Slamming it down, she grabbed it up again and thumped some button, "Come on… come on… Daniel! No, listen, Maybourne’s gone and… what d’you think happened?!… Yes… I already did. You are? Okay."

She put the phone down and turned to face the remainder of the SG-1 team.

Jack shouted, "What’s going on?!"

"I AM SORRY. I HAD NOT ANTICIPATED THAT MAYBOURNE WOULD MAKE SUCH A MISGUIDED MOVE. DO NOT BE CONCERNED. THERE IS NO WAY HE CAN ESCAPE FROM THE SGC."

"What ‘misguided move’ is he trying to make?"

Janet turned away, "It doesn’t matter. We’ll catch him."

"It matters. Believe me, it really *really* matters."

Janet wouldn’t say anything else. 

Then they all heard a roar from the other end of the corridor, "That *idiot*! How many times have I got to explain it before he’ll understand?"

Rebel Daniel came to a furious halt just at the cell door.

Janet replied, "He’ll never make it out of the base." 

‘Daniel’ snapped, "He’s gone too far this time. Useful or not, he’s not worth this. Inform the guards that I’m authorising lethal force… on *all* of them, if necessary."

Janet pulled him slightly away. SG-1 could only hear parts of their conversation.

Janet muttered, "You can’t… we have to at least…"

‘Daniel’ replied, "I can’t? Funny, last time I checked… or am I wrong?"

"I know you… but it’s not his… and I won’t let you..."

‘Daniel’ scowled then, raising his voice, said, "Fine, inform the guards to zat them and bring Maybourne to my office." 

He turned round and headed back down the corridor

Turning to Janet, Jack said, "Look, I don’t know how it works here but, in our reality, you can get outta this base in a lot less time than a half hour."

"Here, it’s nearer two hours to get up to the surface without taking the tunnels. Besides, the upper floors are all but cut off at the minute."

"Why wouldn’t he take the tunnels?"

"There aren’t any at the moment. They’re a security risk so we only grow them when we need up there in a hurry and Maybourne doesn’t have the crystals."

"You mean Tok’ra tunnels?"

Nodding, Anise said, "THEREFORE, YOU SHOULD NOT WORRY."

"Who actually *has* the crystals?"

"All Tok’ra… and Daniel have access to them. None of us would give them to Maybourne. WE DO NOT TRUST HIM."

>< <> >< <> ><

Daniel struggled against his bonds as he looked at his captors. Maybourne and three of his men had taken him to the surface by growing tunnels from crystals. When they’d reached the surface, Maybourne had headed back in - closing up the tunnel behind him - leaving Daniel with the other three. Two of them had grabbed him and now they were dragging him along. He felt weak as a kitten; Maybourne had injected him with something - just before they’d stolen his glasses, hacked off his hair and put him into these tattered old fatigues. 

Now he was being dragged through what had once been Colorado Springs. As he was pushed down the deserted street, Daniel looked around in horror. Even through his blurry vision, this place looked like the set of some, post-apocalyptic, movie. By and large, though, all the buildings were still intact. Of course, Daniel thought, they wouldn’t have destroyed this area from orbit. It would’ve risked destroying the gate and Amon wouldn’t have wanted to do that. The destruction here had been caused by the Jaffa - and probably by their side trying to keep the bad guys as far from Cheyenne Mountain as possible. It made for an eerie scene. The sky was all but obscured in unnatural yellow cloud and the air tasted bitter and metallic. As they dragged him onwards, he caught sight of his reflection in a cracked glass window and suddenly understood what all that had been about with Maybourne back at the base. The shorter hair and change of clothes, made him look pretty much exactly like the Daniel from this reality. Maybourne was trying to pass him off as the Daniel who led the rebels and who Amon… wanted as a host… oh damn. 

Suddenly, he became aware of a rhythmic thumping echoing around him. Looking up, he saw that several Jaffa were approaching their location. The men dragging him halted and waited for the Jaffa to reach them. 

One of the men stepped forward and said, "Jaffa!"

The lead Jaffa said, "You are the one that wished to meet us at this place?"

"I am. My name is Crawford. I wish to pledge my allegiance to his Lord Amon."

"Tau’ri pledges are nothing but words. Words mean nothing."

"That is why I intend to pledge my allegiance by my actions…"

He stepped aside to reveal Daniel standing between the other men. Daniel was staring at the ground.

The Jaffa asked, "Who is this?"

Crawford walked behind Daniel and said, "See for yourself…"

With that, he grabbed Daniel’s hair and wrenched his head backwards so that his face was clear to the Jaffa. The lead Jaffa looked almost shocked. Slowly, he walked forward and grabbed Daniel’s face.

He said, "This is Daniel Jackson. How did you extract him?"

"We had a man on the inside."

"This could be a deception."

"It’s not. That’s him all right."

"How can Daniel Jackson be restrained by two Tau’ri?"

"The insider drugged him."

The Jaffa bent his head down and released his grip on Daniel, "Then I am certain that this will most please my lord Amon."

Then Daniel saw Crawford drop to the ground as the crackling blue energy of the zat did its work. Before the men on the sides of Daniel had a chance to do anything, the Jaffa had fired at them as well. Daniel felt the sting as the zat blast hit them. Flinching in pain, Daniel was dragged back to his feet. Still aching, he watched as the Jaffa dispassionately vaporised the three men before dragging him onwards.

>< <> >< <> ><

He’d been dragged for a mile or two before the Jaffa had stopped. It turned out that they had reached a set of rings that took them all up to a small Goa’uld ship. They’d then flown some distance across the planet before ringing down to some sort of palace. It looked newly built and was distinctly Goa’uld in origin - the chronic overuse of gold and marble was a dead give-away. He’d then been dragged about again - this time he was taken to some lower part of the palace. There wasn’t any gold or marble down here… it was all black and metallic. He’d been bound to some sort of tilting board by sixteen huge manacles \- four on each limb and all appeared to be made of trinium. He guessed that these Jaffa had never heard of the concept of overkill. Then most of the Jaffa had left. As he waited for something to happen, he looked about the room he was in. It was fairly small and dimly lit. Most of the space was taken up by the gold sarcophagus. There wasn’t much else to see apart from the tele-ball over in the corner and the two Jaffa standing guard. 

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been waiting but, eventually, he saw the door slide aside to reveal… Astarte. She looked just like she had on the Vocume’s recording.

Eyes glowing, she said, "DANIEL, SO YOU’RE FINALLY HERE."

Daniel weighed up his options. He could tell her that he wasn’t who she thought he was and that he was from an alternate reality but she would either disbelieve him or kill him. Therefore, he guessed that the best ploy was just to play along and pretend that he was the Daniel from this reality for now. He’d probably regret that decision when Amon showed up, though.

"Seems that way, doesn’t it?"

"IT’S BEEN TOO LONG."

Dismissing the guards, Sam said, "I HAVE SENT FOR MY MASTER. SOON HE SHALL BE HERE AND…"

Dropping into a normal human voice, she smiled evilly as she continued, "…we’ll be on the same team again. That’ll be fun, won’t it, Daniel?"

>< <> >< <> ><

Feeling self-conscious in the Goa’uld get-up, Sam fiddled nervously with her hair extensions and readjusted the voice distorter so it wasn’t stabbing into her so much. Sighing, she turned her attention back to her revision.

Over the years, Daniel had taught her a few Goa’uld phrases. Nowadays, members of SG-teams were given a course in basic spoken Goa’uld - more often than not this was taught by Daniel or Teal’c. Due to a wide variety of dialectal variations, they were only able to tell them some important warnings, commands and numbers in Goa’uld. However, since two members of SG-1 already spoke fluent Goa’uld, Hammond hadn’t been too bothered about an official spoken Goa’uld course for her and the Colonel. Therefore, she was having some trouble just trying to *pronounce* some of the words - never mind memorising them and then using them in the appropriate context.

Turning, she noticed that the com was beeping. As a flurry of Goa’uld came through it, she quickly switched on her ear-device.

After a short delay, a monotone voice said, "…your speed. Possibility that mission has been compromised."

One of the Jaffa replied to the com in Goa’uld which the ear-device translated to, "What has happened?"

"Amon has been summoned to earth."

"What? How?"

"The alternate Daniel Jackson was taken from the base and handed over to the Jaffa. Now Astarte has him."

Sam’s eyes widened in fear. Daniel had been taken and was at the mercy of her Goa’ulded doppleganger?

She listened on, "Then we should abort."

"No, you are to continue as planned. We must hope that you fulfil your plan before Amon comes within range and retakes the fleet."

"Very well. We will proceed as planned."

Sam came to the front and said, "Is this thing translating right? Was Daniel taken to me… Astarte?"

One of the Jaffa turned to her, "I fear it translates correctly, Major Carter. I am sorry for your loss."

"Loss? He was just taken there, right? And Amon hasn’t arrived yet so there’s still time to save him."

"There is no time, Major Carter, and no possibility of rescue from the place he has been taken. We must continue with our mission. Its importance far outweighs the life of an individual."

"I’m not just going to leave him to…"

The other Jaffa said, "Major Carter, if our mission is successful then there may yet be hope for your Daniel Jackson. If we fail; there is no hope for anyone. You must proceed."

Not even wanting to consider what might be happening to her friend, Sam slowly nodded, "All right. How long now?"

"We shall make contact within the hour."

"Then I guess one of you’d better teach me the Goa’uld for ‘My Lord’ in case Amon calls."

>< <> >< <> ><

Jack was beyond worried about his friends now. Janet had told them about Carter’s mission and he really didn’t like the sound of it. On top of that, the search of the base had turned up Maybourne, a pocketful of crystals and a pair of spectacles that now lay in Jack’s pocket. Janet, Jack and a hooded Teal’c stood in the corner of the room. In the centre, Maybourne - with his hands bound behind his back - was being circled by ‘Daniel’. Maybourne was pale but defiant.

"Who the hell gave you those crystals?"

Slightly smug for a second, Maybourne said, "Didn’t it occur to you he has the same retinal scan as you do?"

"And the code? He had that too?"

"Codes can be bypassed."

Snarling, ‘Daniel’ said, "I don’t have time for this, Maybourne. Where is Dr Jackson?"

"Standing in front of me last I checked."

‘Daniel’s’ hand blurred and Maybourne flew across the room. Jack and Teal’c looked at each other in shock. ‘Daniel’s’ hand really had *blurred*…

Walking across, ‘Daniel’ pulled Maybourne back to his feet and said, "You sent him to her, didn’t you?"

Maybourne’s failure to reply was met with another hand-blurring blow. This time, he bent double before falling to his knees. 

‘Daniel’ grabbed a zatnickertail off of the table and quickly primed it. Shoving it right against Maybourne’s forehead, he said, "Did you send him to her?"

"Yes… I did. She’ll bring Amon back to earth."

"And he’ll take… ‘him’ as a host and the entropic cascade failure will kill them both. Like we discussed before."

"I knew you didn’t have the nerve to do that to ‘yourself’ so I did it for you."

‘Daniel’ withdrew the zat, "Now I understand. When I turned down the whole idea before, you ‘realised’ that it was because it was too difficult for me to give the order when it would basically amount to killing ‘myself’?"

"I knew you’d want me to put our cause first so I did what you were unable to."

"That’s why you’ve survived up until now, isn’t it? Because I need you to do what I can’t. Because you can always do ‘what needs to be done’, isn’t that right?"

‘Daniel’ smiled at Maybourne before zatting him. The blue light crackled up and down him as he dropped backwards to the floor in obvious pain. 

Bending over him, ‘Daniel’ snarled, "I couldn’t care any less about him than I could about you, Maybourne. I turned down the plan because killing Amon will accomplish nothing if his fleet’s as strong as ever. All you’ve managed to do is jeopardise the first real chance of crippling his fleet that we’ve had in years. If Amon meets with the fleet then the whole plan is finished. Now, have we any chance of stopping that happening or is it already too late?"

Groaning, Maybourne replied, "He was handed over to the Jaffa hours ago. She’ll have him by now."

"I should kill you for this."

"You wouldn’t. You need me too much."

"No, I *used* to need you, Maybourne. Because *I* used to be a decent person. But I’m not anymore so it looks like you’re out of a job. Too bad, huh?"

Maybourne’s whole demeanour changed, "Daniel, it was a *mistake*."

"Your *last* mistake."

"Come on, you can’t *kill* me just for making a mistake. We’re supposed to be fighting the enemy; not each other."

Lowering the zat, ‘Daniel’ said, "Know what? You’re right. We’re supposed to be fighting the enemy; not each other." 

Raising the zat again, ‘Daniel’ continued, "Maybe you should’ve taken the trouble to remember that."

Before Maybourne had even had time to figure out what that meant, the zat discharged into him a second time. Jack and Teal’c looked at each other in shock again. 

Quietly, Daniel said, "See you in hell, Maybourne."

A third blast followed and Maybourne vanished in the blue lightning. 

Jack eventually said, "You… killed him?"

"Should’ve done it months ago."

‘Daniel’ looked up at Teal’c, "Hope ‘you’re’ not too mad I waited so long to do it."

Teal’c looked confused. ‘Daniel’ said, "Oh, didn’t Jack tell you? In this reality, Maybourne killed ‘you’ a year and a half ago."

Jack didn’t want to get into a conversation about revenge right now with two members of his team out there somewhere with a countdown to self-destruct looming over their heads. If they didn’t get through the gate and back to their own reality soon then Daniel and Carter were going to die… or cease to exist or something… he was a little hazy on the details but he knew that it wasn’t a good thing either way.

Suddenly, there was a noise from the next room and Daniel dashed off.

Jack turned to Janet, "Where the hell did he get strength like that?"

Anise replied, "LONG BEFORE I WAS BLENDED WITH JANET, I SEARCHED FOR MYTHICAL ARMBANDS SAID TO CONTAIN GREAT POWER."

Jack rolled his eyes, "These armbands wouldn’t belong to the Ant-on-nikes by any chance?"

Ignoring the mispronunciation, Anise nodded, "YES."

"You found them in our reality."

"I LEFT HERE A YEAR AND A HALF AGO BECAUSE I BELIEVED THAT THE ARMBANDS WOULD GIVE US A GREAT ADVANTAGE WERE I TO FIND THEM. HOWEVER…"

"However, you found them and then found that they’re great for a while but then they have a nasty habit of stopping working."

"AS I AM SURE YOU KNOW, THEY WORK BY INTRODUCING A VIRUS INTO THE BODY. THEY CEASE TO FUNCTION ONCE THE BODY DEVELOPS A SUFFICIENT IMMUNITY TO THE VIRUS."

"Yep, found that out first hand."

Janet said, "There were three armbands. Two of the people wearing the armbands were killed in an explosion. They’d radioed out that their armbands had stopped working just a few minutes before they died. Daniel was wearing the third one."

"And?"

"He was trying to rescue Sam. He was deep inside the base when it stopped working. He hadn’t a chance against all those Jaffa…"

Janet looked down, "Did your team and your Daniel ever go to a planet ruled by Pyrus and his daughter Shyla?"

Teal’c replied, "We did. Daniel Jackson became addicted to the Goa’uld Sarcophagus on that world."

"So did our Daniel… When he was captured, he was taken to Astarte. Because Sam is her host, she knew about Daniel’s addiction. Amon has far more efficient methods of extracting information but she thought that it would be more enjoyable if Daniel was forced to give them the information to feed his addiction. Because Sam and Daniel were so close, Astarte’s always had a twisted obsession with Daniel. She likes to play games with him; watch him suffer."

Jack shivered at the thought of *his* Daniel now - or soon to be - at the mercy of the Goa’ulded Carter. Janet noticed the Colonel wince and tried to distract him from that thought by continuing with her tale, "She told him what she was planning and she put him into the Sarcophagus. I’m not sure exactly what happened but the virus wasn’t entirely out of his system yet and Daniel was already alive and healthy when she put him in the Sarcophagus."

Anise continued, "I HAVE HYPOTHESISED THAT THE RELATIVE INTELLIGENCE OF THE VIRUS AND ITS RELATIVE LACK OF DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS MEANT THAT IT WAS NOT RECOGNISED AS SUCH BY THE SARCOPHAGUS. INSTEAD, IT WAS RECOGNISED AS LIFE AND THE SARCOPHAGUS PROCEEDED TO RESTORE IT TO HEALTH. IN ORDER TO DO SO, IT WAS FORCED TO ALTER THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OF DANIEL SO THAT IT WAS UNABLE TO RECOGNISE THE VIRUS. THE SARCOPHAGUS HAS LITTLE TROUBLE MAKING SUCH ALTERATIONS TO A PHYSICAL FORM SO SIMPLE AS THE HUMAN ONE."

Jack worked his way through that and eventually said, "So Daniel’s still got the super-speed, super-strength deal?"

"A SOMEWHAT DILUTED FORM OF WHAT THE FULLY-ACTIVE VIRUS WAS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING. HIS IMMUNE SYSTEM IS ABLE TO REACT WHEN THE VIRUS ATTEMPTS TO SPREAD BEYOND A CERTAIN LIMIT. THE SARCOPHAGUS APPEARS TO HAVE CONSIDERED THIS RATIO THE MOST BALANCED."

Janet continued, "He’s still far, far stronger and faster than a normal human… or a Jaffa, for that matter. That’s how he was able to escape from Astarte. He came back here but… but he was different. What happened changed him. He was more erratic, quicker to anger… not so *human* as before, I guess. I don’t know if it was the virus or the sarcophagus or just one too many encounters with Astarte but... it wasn’t really Daniel that came back to us. He’s still in there, deep down, but he’s getting harder to see with every day that passes."

Teal’c was looking, reflectively, at the floor, "Daniel Jackson killed Maybourne in vengeance for my murder."

"He’s never gotten over Teal’c’s death. Thought he should’ve been able to stop it from happening. He knew it was his fault."

The other two looked confused so she explained, "When Colonel O’Neill died, Daniel was forced to take over command of the SGC. He didn’t want to but the Tok’ra didn’t want someone like Maybourne in charge and the humans wouldn’t accept a Tok’ra as their leader."

Anise added, "WE KNEW DR JACKSON COULD BE TRUSTED. THE TAU’RI REBELS ALSO ACCEPTED HIS LEADERSHIP."

"Well, most of them did. Ones like Maybourne thought that he didn’t have the ruthlessness needed. They thought that with Colonel O’Neill out of the way that one of them would be leader. Daniel held his ground."

She turned away, "The Colonel was dead and Sam was a Goa’uld. Six months later, we’d lost contact with the Council and I’d left to go find the armbands so… Teal’c was all that Daniel had left. Maybourne thought that having Teal’c around gave Daniel his strength of will. He wanted to destroy that strength and he couldn’t afford to kill Daniel so… so he destroyed Teal’c. When he found Teal’c had been killed, Daniel blamed himself for it. Knew Teal’c had been killed to get to him…"

Pausing for a moment, Janet looked out into the gate-room before saying, "Maybourne was wrong. Daniel’s strength came from Daniel - it always has done. All killing Teal’c achieved was to make him angrier and more determined that someone like Maybourne couldn’t be allowed to lead these people."

As if trying to explain Daniel’s actions before, she said, "Teal’c was all Daniel had left… and Maybourne took him away. Personally, I’m amazed he managed to restrain himself for as long as he did."

‘Daniel’ reappeared on the scene and said, "Janet, Anise, they need you up on 22 now. The generator overloaded. They managed to get it under control before it exploded but some people have been badly electrocuted."

Janet nodded and hurried out. ‘Daniel’ turned to Jack and Teal’c.

"I’ve got to send a group through the gate. You two can hitch a ride with them and then go wherever you need to once you’re on the other side. Be ready to go in ten minutes."

‘Daniel’ went to turn and leave when Jack said, "What?!"

"I’m letting you use the gate to get the hell out of here. I thought that was what you wanted."

"What about *our* Daniel and Carter?"

"Maybourne’s sent the whole plan straight to hell. Now I’ve no idea what’ll happen. Your friends aren’t coming back. Even if they’re not dead yet, they’ll be torn apart by entropic cascade failure before long. You should be grateful for their sacrifice. It’s bought you two your tickets out of here."

"We can’t! Teal’c and I don’t even know how the damn thing works!"

"Well, you’re not going to be affected by this reality for years. Take some supplies with you. Figure it out."

"I’m *not* leaving without them. I’m not leaving them behind. No-one gets left behind."

‘Daniel’ replied, "Like hell they don’t! People get left behind."

"Not on my watch."

"Yes on your watch! You left Sam!"

Jack staggered back a bit at that one.

‘Daniel’ noticed the reaction and said, "You *left* her for Amon’s Jaffa! You *locked* the damn door on her!"

Teal’c said, "What occurred, Daniel Jackson?"

‘Daniel’ looked down for a second before replying, "When we found out the Jaffa had got past our perimeter shields, a group of us went up to the higher levels to try and modify the generators before any more Jaffa got in. Sam and I were there. We managed to alter it so they couldn’t get in but the forces already inside were doing a lot of damage. The upper levels had to be abandoned altogether. The group of us ran for it. We reached level 16 where the second layer of shielding starts. We lost some of the group as the Jaffa began to catch up with us. I made it through the door and realised Sam wasn’t next to me. I turned back to find her when Jack ordered the shielding up. I radioed him to tell him she was still on the other side and all he said was ‘I know’."

‘Daniel’ continued, "He felt so guilty about it that he headed out of the control-room and took the Tok’ra tunnels up to the surface - on his *own* - to try and head them off. Days later, a scouting party found… the body."

Turning away, ‘Daniel’ said, "I hope the mindless heroism made him *feel* better because it sure as hell didn’t do anything else! People here *needed* him! If he hadn’t got himself killed he might’ve been around to save Teal’c from Maybourne. He might’ve actually been able to *save* Sam if he hadn’t been so damn guilty about leaving her behind. I needed him and he left me to do this alone."

The anger in the beginning of the outburst had lessened as he went on. By the end, it had sounded more depressed than angry.

Looking round again, ‘Daniel’ said, "Take my offer. Go back to the planet and try to get back to your reality and stop it getting into the state this one’s in. Sometimes people have to…"

Jack cut him off, "If you’d just let us through the gate when I asked you the first time then they’d both still be here!"

"Opening the gate in the middle of an attack would’ve risked the life of every man, woman and child in this place. Not to mention the resistance. Even if I’d wanted to; I couldn’t have let you use the gate."

Teal’c said, "You were choiceless, Daniel Jackson."

"See? Teal’c understands."

"I believe I do, Daniel Jackson. However, I, too, do not wish to depart from this place without the Daniel Jackson and Major Carter from our reality."

"Look, there’re two options for you… either you leave in…"

Glancing down at his watch, he said, "…eight minutes along with the team I’m sending or you stay here until the next time we’re able to open the gate. Even if we’re not totally wiped out by Amon, that’ll probably be days from now by which time they’ll have been torn apart by the cascade failure anyway. There’s not an option three where everyone lives happily ever after, Jack, so choose."

Jack glowered at him, "I want to know who the hell you are."

"You know who I am."

Jack yelled, "Like hell I do! I don’t know who the hell you are but what I know for sure is that you’re not Daniel Jackson! You are a betrayal of everything Daniel stands for. Everything that he is."

"Like you even know who ‘Daniel Jackson’ is!"

"Oh, I know who is all right. He’s a man who would put everything on the line to save his friends. Hell, he’d do it for a total stranger! But you? You’d happily send Carter to her death!"

"She knew the risks when she agreed to it."

"Yeah, because *she’d* put everything on the line to save us and you knew that."

"Yeah, you’re right. I took advantage. I’m a bad person. Did the violence and killing not already make that clear to you?"

As the red mist descended, Jack yelled, "You think this is *funny*? You son of a…."

Not even thinking anymore, Jack swung his fist towards ‘Daniel’. He made contact with nothing but air. 

Suddenly, he became aware of ‘Daniel’s’ voice coming from right behind him, "Know what? Forget it. Gate’s closed to you for good."

With that, he found himself launched across the room. As he collided heavily with the opposite wall, he heard Teal’c shout, "O’Neill!"

Climbing unsteadily to his feet, Jack looked up into the unrepentant eyes of a smirking ‘Daniel’. Or were they? Far, far beneath the surface, there was just a touch… a hint of a remorseful gaze. Suddenly, Jack felt the rage dissipate.

Calmly, he said, "Easier, isn’t it? To play the bad guy."

"I’m not playing it, Jack, that’s what you don’t understand."

"I understand, ‘Daniel’. I play bad guy often enough to know how much easier it is. To just delude yourself that there’s no such thing as a right decision. To tell yourself that you just do what’s necessary. You don’t have time for all those pesky little morals. I just feel sorry for you… because you don’t have a ‘Daniel’ to slap you across the face every once in a while and remind you that there is another way… it’s just harder."

"What the hell do you know about it? When I used to be like him all I ever got from you was abuse when I got preachy."

"Usually because I knew you were right and it irritated the hell out of me. Hell, it still does! You’ve always been stronger than me, ‘Daniel’. I always used to think I was the one with the strength to make the hard decisions but you were stronger… you made the *right* decisions…"

"I was deluded. There’s no such thing."

"No, there are… They just complicate things."

"So, you be my ‘Daniel’, Jack. Tell me what exactly I should have done – put Sam’s life above everyone else’s? Is that it? Sacrifice a chance like this because it put her life at risk? I asked ‘you’ to bring down that shield, Jack. I *begged* ‘you’ to let me go back for her. And you wouldn’t. You were the one who taught me this lesson, Jack. Any individual life is expendable when the stakes are this high. Even hers. At least, this time… she got to make the choice."

For the first time since he’d met ‘Daniel’, Jack saw something he recognised in his eyes. There was pain and guilt and loneliness and just a hint of ‘his’ Daniel hiding behind it all.

Jack looked across at him, "Teal’c, can you give us a minute here?"

Bowing his head in assent, Teal’c headed out of the room.

After a pause, Jack said, "You must really hate me for what I did to you."

"Jack taught me how to survive. Why would I hate him for that?"

"Because, hard as you try to deny it, you’re still Daniel Jackson. Survival was never enough for you. You had to have faith. In something. In *anything*… but you had to believe."

"Because I liked to delude myself about happy endings. No matter how cruel people could be or how many times I had people I cared about ripped away from me… I still just lived in my little dream world. Well, guess what, Jack? You woke me up and made me take a good look at the world."

"You always knew what the world was like, Daniel. How harsh it could be… you, more than most. That’s *why* you had to believe in people. Look for the best in them… even those of us who didn’t deserve it. I used to look into your eyes and see this ‘other’ me. And sometimes he was very hard to live up to so I’d try to shut you out…"

‘Or shut you up,’ thought Jack morosely. Euronda had been a serious wake-up call for him. The way he’d acted towards Daniel was unforgivable and what he’d nearly let happen was almost unthinkable. He’d had to take a hard look at himself and he really hadn’t liked what he’d seen. It sounded like this reality’s Jack never got that wake-up call. 

Continuing, he said, "…but I needed you. Even though I hated you for it sometimes… I needed you to believe in the other Jack O’Neill. The one I never saw; didn’t believe in. Because every time I looked at you I’d see him staring back at me. And now I know how you must’ve felt. Cos I’m looking at you and I see another Daniel in there. One I recognise." 

Looking away, ‘Daniel’ said, "You know nothing about me. And if you think that pathetic excuse for a human is the ‘real’ Daniel Jackson then you are going to be in for a big surprise."

>< <> >< <> ><

The tilting board had been adjusted so that it was parallel with the floor and he was now facing the ceiling. He heard footsteps approaching and Astarte appeared to his right. She was holding one of those ‘torture sticks’ that seemed to be one of the Goa’ulds’ favourite toys.

Pouting childishly, she said, "Daddy’s taking ever so long to get here."

Stroking her hand down Daniel’s face, she said, "And I’m ever so bored."

Daniel couldn’t help the involuntary shudder that ran through him. Being in the presence of a bored Goa’uld was never a good thing. She grinned when she saw the moment of fear in his eyes.

"So do you WANT TO PLAY?"

Daniel didn’t reply. No wonder the Daniel from this reality was so screwed up. With Sam as her host, Astarte was a more dangerous Goa’uld to be around than any other. Not only was it hard to know that Sam was trapped inside that mind but, using Sam’s knowledge, Astarte knew *exactly* how to manipulate him. She knew that speaking in Sam’s voice would have more impact than the Goa’uld one.

"Oh, don’t tell me you don’t like me anymore, Daniel."

Daniel still didn’t reply. Grinning, Astarte grabbed his chin and turned his face round to face her.

Mere inches separating them now, Astarte looked deep into his eyes and said, "Don’t tell me that you don’t want me anymore."

For the first time, Daniel radiated genuine confusion, "Want you?"

"Don’t pretend you never wanted me, Daniel. You wanted me the first time you saw me. That’s why Sha’re was so over-clingy. That’s why she kissed you. She was marking her territory. Telling me to keep my hands off of you. Too bad for her that she’s dead now so you’re all mine."

Daniel’s eyes darted away from hers as he wondered if there was a shred of truth in what Astarte had just said. He’d never considered it before but Sha’re’s behaviour that day had been very out-of-character. Had she really considered Sam a threat to her? 

Then all thought was ripped from his mind as the pain began. 

Grinning as he screamed, Astarte drove the torture stick into him again, "All MINE."

>< <> >< <> ><

Sam looked up ahead to where the fleet was hovering. There were a *lot* of ships. It looked like ‘Daniel’ was right when he said that this was Amon’s attempt to crush the Tau’ri rebellion once and for all.

She still hadn’t had a tremor but she knew it was probably only a matter of time. They would have to get through the gate to the planet soon or she’d be in no fit state to figure out how to work the device. Now, time was even more pressing than before. With Amon on his way and Daniel in trouble, she’d have to do this as quickly as possible.

The Jaffa had announced her presence to the lead mothership and, now, she stood within the rings, preparing for transport. 

She slid the ribbon device onto her hand as she nodded to the Jaffa to activate the rings. The rings rose, one by one, until she was enveloped within them.

As the blinding light of the rings faded, Sam looked around. She was on the pel’tac of a Goa’uld ship and there were a lot of Jaffa looking at her. Hoping she could pull this off, she made sure the distorter was on before she said, "JAFFA, KREE." 

It was odd when, seconds later, the device in her ear said, "Jaffa, kree."

Sam guessed that Daniel hadn’t bothered translating that because kree meant too many different things. Hoping that she was right in thinking that it was the Goa’uld equivalent of ‘listen up’, Sam continued, "<IT IS NEARLY TIME TO ATTACK.>"

She wasn’t sure she’d pronounced it right so she was relieved when her ear device parroted it back to her in English. 

The Jaffa in charge came over and bowed. Her ear device said, "We are ready to attack at your command."

"<ALL SHIPS?>"

"All are ready, my Mistress."

Stepping forward, and praying she didn’t screw this up, Sam hovered her hand over the controls and made them rise. Smiling in what she considered to be a Goa’uldish way, she opened a channel to the other ships, "<PREPARE TO ENTER EARTH’S ORBIT.>"

"Yes, mistress."

Sam looked round. So far; so good. Now all she had to do was keep from being detected long enough for them to get into orbit. 

>< <> >< <> ><

Daniel shivered. He felt unnaturally cold. He didn’t know how long he’d been here but it felt like it’d been forever. The pain that thing could inflict was beyond unbearable. He was sure she’d only stopped because it was no fun to torture someone when they kept passing out within seconds. Even now, he was only barely clinging to consciousness. 

He watched as she set down the torture-stick. She said, "Betrayed again, Daniel? You really should choose your friends more carefully, you know."

With conviction in his voice, Daniel weakly said, "Maybourne was never my friend."

Chuckling, Astarte said, "Ah, Maybourne… you know, I once told him he was an idiot every day of the week. Nice to see that some things never change. Did he think handing you over would get him power? With you gone; he gets to be in charge?"

Trying to remember he was meant to be from this reality, Daniel replied, "Something like that."

"Awww, don’t feel bad, Daniel. When you’re the evil snakehead, you’ll get the chance to get even with him. Just a little thought to cheer you up when you’re responsible for levelling Cheyenne Mountain."

Figuring that this game was a lot less painful than the torture-stick one, he played along, "Gee thanks."

Flashing a smile towards him, Astarte said, "Oh, nearly forgot to ask you. What do you think of the new look? I was worried it might, you know, be a bit OTT. Just can’t seem to shake the Goa’uldy need to overdress for the occasion."

As she moved the controls and tilted the board to a more vertical position, Daniel dryly added, "Or the melodrama."

"Hey, what can I say? It’s genetic, okay? Anyway, nothing wrong with a little melodrama. Now, come on. Honest opinion. Too much?"

Giving her a quick once-over, Daniel replied casually, "The dress is good. Black was a good choice. Could’ve done without the gold."

"Oh, come on, I’m a Goa’uld."

"The liking for gold genetic too?"

"Never really thought about it. Yeah, guess it must be. Hey, I just thought of something!"

Almost forgetting the fact this wasn’t his friend, Daniel asked, "What?"

"You know the way we spell Goa’uld in English? It’s ‘gold’ with a and u in the middle and Au is the chemical symbol *for* gold. How cool is that?!"

Unable to resist grinning at the remark, Daniel replied, "You know, sometimes I actually wonder which of us is the bigger geek."

Grinning stupidly, Astarte replied, "Anyway, the gold’s staying. So what about the rest of it?"

"I like the hair. The make-up’s okay, apart from maybe you could do without the kohl…"

"Too much?"

"Well… you really need a darker complexion to carry it off."

"See, this is why you’re the only one of the guys I ever asked things like this. I mean, the Colonel would’ve have made a joke or gone ‘um… it’s a dress… okay, I guess’. And Teal’c would’ve been like… ‘Major Carter, I do not understand your question. If you do not believe that this attire is suitable then for what reason are you currently wearing it? Now, tell me… about the jewellery…?"

"Yeah, did you like get it wholesale or something?"

"Think I went a little overboard?"

"Slight understatement. You’re like a mobile jewellery store. Anyone heard you coming down a corridor would think it was a Jaffa what with all the clanking metal."

Guiltily, Astarte replied, "Couldn’t help myself. Not every day a girl gets Tiffany’s all to herself, you know. It was just so hard to choose."

Smiling innocently at him, she continued, "You know, we haven’t talked like this in ages. Last few times, you’ve been so grumpy… and before that you spent the whole time saying ‘fight it, Sam’ which, frankly, was beginning to get on my nerves. This is much more fun, isn’t it?"

Suddenly, the ‘tele-ball’ in the corner burst into life and, for the first time, Daniel saw Amon. He was a slightly-built man with a pasty complexion and curly black hair. The high-collared green cloak and a ridiculous hat made him look like a pantomime villain. Daniel half expected his first word to be ‘A-ha!’ Suppressing the urge to say ‘He’s behind you’, Daniel saw Astarte turn to look at the ball.

In Goa’uld she said, "<My Lord.>"

Then she stepped aside so that Amon could see Daniel properly. Smiling cruelly, Amon said, "<We meet once again, Daniel Jackson. I trust my Queen has seen to it that your stay shall be somewhat longer this time.>"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Daniel replied, "Yeah, I was thinking about a week in the Bahamas but she just made torture and imprisonment sound so appealing that I figured I’d hang around for a while."

"<For so long you have fought against me, Daniel Jackson… but soon you will make me more powerful than any other Goa’uld. And With your knowledge, I will destroy what pathetic little remains of your resistance.>"

Rolling his eyes, Daniel said, "Are you going to be this clichéd when your *in* my head? Because it’s already annoying the hell out of me."

Amon ignored the comment and, instead, said to Astarte, "<Has the fleet reached orbit?>"

"<No, I have not yet heard from them.>"

Visibly irritated, Amon replied, "<They were supposed to have arrived by now. Why have you not ensured that?>"

Dropping into Sam’s voice, Astarte snapped, "It’s not my job to keep your stupid minions in line."

"<You are my queen!>"

"Yeah, your queen. Not your first prime. So go kill him and quit yelling at me."

"<Why do you always insist on using those Tau’ri expressions, ASTARTE? They are most irritating.>" 

"That would be *why* I use them."

"<One day my patience with your tiresome games shall expire, ASTARTE. I shall see to the fleet. Ensure he does not escape.>"

"<Yes, my lord.>"

After the tele-ball had shut-down again, Astarte turned and said, "Maybe with you as his host, he’ll develop a sense of humour."

Daniel replied, "Glad to see your liking for dating the lunatic fringe is ongoing. Tell me, do the death threats spice up the relationship or what?"

Astarte didn’t reply. She was looking oddly at him. A cruel smile spread across her face. 

Her eyes glowing, she said, "HE WOULD THREATEN ME AS HE WOULD A JAFFA? THEN I SHALL BE AS LOYAL AS ONE."

The cruel smile dropping into a mischievous grin, Astarte continued, "One called Teal’c, that is." 

Daniel was lost now, "What?"

"I HAVE BEEN FOOLISH. I HAVE SO MUCH POWER WITHIN MY GRASP AND ALL I MUST DO IS REACH OUT AND TAKE IT. WHY HAND ALL THAT POWER TO HIM WHEN IT COULD BE MINE?"

Tensing, Daniel asked, "What are you talking about?"

"WITH YOUR ABILITIES, HE AND HIS PERSONAL GUARD SHALL BE EASILY DEALT WITH… THEN IT WILL ALL BE MINE…"

"My abilities?"

Astarte ignored his bewildered question as she continued, "… AND I WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THAT WEAK FOOL TO TAKE MY PRIZE?"

Walking towards the door, she raised her ribbon device to the door controls. One quick burst of orange energy later and it was sizzling. Coming back over, Astarte began pressing buttons on the control pad for his tilting board. It didn’t appear to be moving. Confused, Daniel said, "What’re you doing?"

"You and I just don’t connect the way we used to, do we, Daniel? Was a time you’d have already figured out what I was going to do before I did it. I kinda miss those days…"

Smiling brightly, she continued, "But, hey, don’t worry. In a minute, we’re going to be about as connected as we can be."

Daniel’s eyes widened as he finally realised what she was planning. Bending forward, she grabbed the collar of his fatigues and kissed the side of his neck. Oh, great, pre-goa’ulding foreplay.

Panicking now, Daniel decided that death by zat would be better than death by Goa’ulding so he said, "Uh, before we connect, there’s something you really should know…"

Pausing for a second, Astarte said, "In a moment I shall know *everything* you know."

As she got back to kissing her way around his neck, he said, "I realise that but I’m not actually…"

But as he went to continue, there was a hissing, squealing noise and a piercing pain in the back of his neck. He watched Astarte drop like a stone before the world span around him. Blind panic catching him, he realised the Goa’uld was inside him. Pain… so much pain. Now he could feel it… it was so much more powerful than him… He had to fight it… he was so weak… but he had to… God, the pain… it felt like someone was tearing his mind apart. Oh, right, that was the Goa’uld. Have to fight it…

Looking around the room, everything looked unnaturally distorted as if he was hallucinating it all. He felt so weak. It was so much stronger than him. It was going to win… god… he could feel its shadow over his mind. Any moment… any moment it was going to be over… So much pain… 

Then the pain changed. It wasn’t from the Goa’uld anymore… Instead, it was a rushing sensation… As if every point in his body was being pulled in every direction at the same time. His breath catching in his throat, he closed his eyes. The tremors peaked and then began to die away. As his breathing returned to normal, the door was blasted open. Two Jaffa came in and saw Astarte lying dead on the floor. Dead Sam wasn’t a pleasant sight even when it wasn’t *his* Sam so Daniel quickly turned away. He guessed that the tremor had been one of those ‘reality shudders’ you got in alternate realities if your doppelganger was still around… but where had the Goa’uld gone? He couldn’t feel it anymore. Had it managed to take him over? Is that why he couldn’t feel it?

As he searched his mind for Astarte, he saw the Jaffa pick ‘Sam’ up and carry her across to the Sarcophagus. They obviously still thought that *she* was the Goa’uld. Turning, they eyed him suspiciously and pointed both their staff weapons at him. Daniel waited nervously for the Goa’uld within him to go all glowy-eyed and twin-voicy to explain the situation to the Jaffa. Puzzlingly, Astarte remained silent. Why? Surely these were her Jaffa? Wouldn’t they be loyal to her? Why wouldn’t she speak? If she hadn’t taken him over yet then why couldn’t he feel her anymore?

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. He hadn’t felt the Goa’uld since the reality shudder. Maybe… maybe the tremor killed it. Maybe *that* was why he couldn’t feel it anymore. Astarte’s continuing silence was promising but he wasn’t going to write the Goa’uld off that quickly. It might have just disorientated her for a while. 

>< <> >< <> ><

One of the Jaffa had just informed her that they’d settled into orbit above earth. However, their input was rather redundant as she could clearly see the planet in the viewscreen. She had an intense desire to turn to the Jaffa and say ‘duh’ but she managed to restrain herself to a Goa’uldy glare which made that particular Jaffa beat a hasty retreat to the back of the room where he began guarding a torch and attempting to blend into the background. Nearly grinning, she managed, at the last second, to turn it into a malevolent smirk and tried to remember her lines. This was the part she could not afford to screw up. 

Opening a communication channel to the other ships, she said, "<PREPARE TO FIRE UPON MY COMMAND. I AM RELAYING TARGETING INFORMATION TO ALL SHIPS.>"

Relieved when the ear-device repeated the message, she pressed in the crystal. As far as she understood it, when the Jaffa uploaded the information into the targeting computer, it would screw the targeting system up so that the Jaffa would think they were targeting earth when actually they were targeting a point within their own shields. They were going to destroy themselves. Once targeting began, there’d be twenty seconds until the weapons fired. During the first fifteen, the weapons could be stopped. After that, there’d be nothing they could do. It meant she was going to have to cut her escape really *really* close. Too close for comfort. 

Uploading the information into the targeting computer, she glanced round at the Jaffa. There was a clear path to the ring device for the moment so she guessed this was her cue. Well, at least her last line was easy. 

Readying to fire, she reached for the com to give her command. Suddenly, though, earth disappeared from the viewscreen and was replaced by a glaring man with glowing eyes. Sam knew Goa’ulds were not renowned for their fashion sense but this one made *Kronos* look like a snappy dresser. 

Remembering herself, she realised that this was Amon. Her heart in her mouth, she glanced down at the sensors and realised his ship was hovering directly above hers. She was cut off from the cargo ship. Taking her hands away from the weapon’s system, she desperately tried to think of something. She shuddered. She didn’t know enough Goa’uld. Amon was going to catch her out and the best she’d be able to do was take this ship down with her if she was really lucky. 

She wasn’t quite sure what possessed her, but she switched off the voice distorter and put on her most childish grin as he said, "<ASTARTE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP HERE?>"

Shrugging, she replied, "Surprise."

"<YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ENSURING THAT DANIEL JACKSON DOES NOT ESCAPE!>"

"Thought you wanted me to look after the fleet. You should make up your mind."

"<I JUST TOLD YOU THAT I WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE FLEET. WHO IS WATCHING DANIEL JACKSON?>"

"Um… at a rough guess… I’d say Jaffa."

Sam was amazed. Though Amon was looking extremely infuriated with her, he didn’t appear to question her behaviour or the fact she was speaking English. 

"<YOUR GAMES GROW MORE TIRESOME, ASTARTE.>"

She heard herself say, "As does your face."

God, had she actually said that? She was definitely spending too much time around the Colonel and Daniel.

The thought was interrupted as Amon said, "<TRANSPORT TO MY SHIP IMMEDIATELY!>"

Ring up to his ship? The idea suddenly spiralling inside her head had no impact on her placid expression as she casually pressed some buttons and replied, "You want me over there?"

"<DO NOT TRY MY PATIENCE! TRANSPORT OVER, NOW!>"

Sam looked down to see that the cargo ship had replied to her message so she activated the weapon and sent a signal to the other ships to do the same. Counting in the back of her mind, she looked up, "Actually, know what? I’ve got a better idea."

"<WHAT?>"

Sweetly, Sam explained, "Well, instead of *me* transporting up to *your* ship; *you* could just go screw yourself."

Amon went to reply when a noise made him turn. The ceiling smashed apart as a set of rings crashed their way through from outside. Before he could turn back, the entire viewscreen filled with a bright white light before everything exploded. Oh, and her count was at twelve.

Before the Jaffa could make sense of what had happened, she splayed her palm and sent a rippling blast from the ribbon device into them all. Turning, she sent a second blast into the steering column. As it began crackling, she turned and ran past the sprawling Jaffa. She couldn’t ring up to the cargo ship but she could ring *down* to the planet. Her count was at three. She pressed the buttons. As her count reached two, the rings rose around her. The count reached one. There was a blinding flash.

Slowly looking up, she looked up into the point of a staff weapon. Turning slightly, she saw that she was surrounded by a ring of Jaffa. Realising her voice distorter was still off, she said, "Uh… kree?"

>< <> >< <> ><

As Teal’c stared out the window at the gate, Jack sat moodily in ‘Daniel’s’ chair. ‘Daniel’ had left them here after some ‘situation’ had occurred. Now he’d left them sitting here for what seemed like an absolute eternity. Not that he was complaining about the accommodation because it was a hell of a lot more comfortable than that cell. They were still prisoners, though, because there were guards keeping them from leaving until ‘Daniel’s’ return. 

For a while, there, he’d thought it might be possible to find some shred of the Daniel he knew underneath all the rage and bitterness. But now he wasn’t even sure there was enough of a soul left to find. 

Jack shook his head and, more to himself than to Teal’c, said, "I did that to ‘Daniel’… the me here, I mean. I destroyed him."

"Daniel Jackson says you taught him to survive."

"That’s short for teaching him to sacrifice everything that he is."

A voice said, "It wasn’t like that."

Jack span round to see Janet standing at the door. 

She said, "Daniel could never have survived this place… Colonel O’Neill knew that. He had to be harsh with him. Harsher with him than with anyone else. But he made Daniel strong."

"Daniel’s got more inner strength than anyone I’ve ever met. Trying to turn him into something he wasn’t didn’t give him more. And if ‘I’ thought that it would then ‘I’ was a moron."

Anise defensively said, "JACK WAS A GREAT MAN AND A GREAT LEADER OF MEN."

Jack, who’d never been called ‘Jack’ by Anise, was rather startled.

Looking somewhat distant now, Anise replied, "FREYA LOVED HIM GREATLY."

At the comment a very stunned Jack felt the urge to say ‘What? Hey, are we talking in an unrequited way or…?’ but he restrained himself.

Seeming to pull herself together, Anise continued, "HIS ABSENSE HAS BEEN KEENLY FELT BY ALL OF US."

Grabbing back control of the voice, Janet said, "You look at Daniel and you see a monster? I see the man who sacrificed his very soul to keep our fight alive. Who even Amon fears. When he’s gone, the resistance will be finished."

"What do you mean ‘when’ he’s gone?"

"More than likely, Amon’s going to wipe us all out this time."

Despite the fact that that made sense, Jack got the distinct impression that that wasn’t the real reason she’d said it. However, he didn’t get to press her anymore about it because ‘Daniel’ appeared on the scene. Jack thought he looked a little wired. Before, he’d been looking on the point of exhaustion. The glare also appeared to be back to full strength. 

Looking at them, ‘Daniel’ said, "You’re still here?"

"That tends to happen when you leave guards at the door."

"I’ve a lot more important things to deal with right now than you two."

Turning to Janet, he snapped, "Get them out of here."

Janet gestured acceptingly and motioned for Jack and Teal’c to follow her. After she’d taken them down a couple of the corridors leading towards the cells, she turned sharply left and headed down another corridor. Hurriedly turning to follow her, Jack said, "Hey, what’s going on?"

Teal’c added, "Dr Fraiser, this is not the path back to our cell."

Janet smiled wryly, "I’m aware of that, Teal’c."

Jack looked around. Though this base differed from their one in many ways, structurally it was pretty much identical. In their reality, this led to some observation labs.

Jack asked, "Weren’t you meant to take us back to our cell?"

"You desperate to get back there or something?"

"Obviously not but… aren’t you going to get it from Daniel?"

"He only wanted you out of there. He never said where I should take you. Anyway, let me worry about him. You’ve got other things to worry about."

With that, she stopped outside a door. After unlocking it, she opened it and motioned for them to follow her in. Walking in after her, Jack saw what was sitting in the middle of the room. It was one of those pods like they’d used to put Thor into suspended animation… hang on a second… hadn’t Daniel said that Thor was here? With everything else that had happened he’d forgotten about that. 

Anise pressed a couple of buttons whilst saying, "THIS SUSPENSION POD HAS BEEN MODIFIED. THOUGH EVEN TOK’RA MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE IS INSUFFICIENT TO RESTORE THOR TO HEALTH, WE WERE ABLE TO DEVISE A METHOD BY WHICH HE IS PARTIALLY HEALED WHILST IN SUSPENSION. THE EFFECTS DO NOT LAST LONG. I CANNOT AFFORD TO REANIMATE THOR FOR MORE THAN FIVE OR SIX MINUTES WITHOUT RISKING HIS CONDITION DETERIORATING BEYOND THE HEALING CAPABILITES OF THE POD."

Jack asked, "Let me get this straight. You have an Azgarde *recharger*?"

Janet grinned, "In a manner of speaking."

With that she pressed a final button and the pod slid open to reveal the pale face of Thor. Walking up to the side of the pod, Jack looked down at the fragile form of the Supreme Commander of the Azgarde Fleet – the former Azgarde Fleet if ‘Daniel’ was to be believed. Lying there, now, he certainly didn’t look the part.

The huge eyes opened and focused upon him. Weakly, he said, "O’Neill?"

"Hey, Thor."

"O’Neill, I had… been informed by Daniel Jackson that you had been killed."

"Well, that was true. See…"

Teal’c helped out, "We are both from an alternate reality."

Nothing ever seemed to startle an Azgarde. He blinked a couple of times then, in his, normal, placid tone, he replied, "I see."

Janet asked, "I was hoping you might be able to help them get back to their reality?"

"How did they reach this reality?"

Teal’c replied, "We were transported to this reality when Major Carter inadvertently activated a device. However, it destroyed itself upon our arrival to this reality."

"Can you describe this device?"

Teal’c went to reply but, before he could, Jack said, "It was an upright-standing, tall, broad, greyish-blue, heavily-engraved, cold, vaguely rectangular, stone thing."

The other three were staring at him so defensively, he replied, "Hey, I was sitting staring at the thing for like half a day, all right?"

Remembering what they were meant to be doing, Teal’c added, "There were inscriptions upon it in many languages and a central band of symbols of which four were ideographs of snakes. Daniel Jackson believed they represented infinity."

Wincing slightly, Thor replied, "I… do not know of this device but I believe it is of Kazari design." 

Jack said, "Kazari? Who are they?"

"Their planet was one protected under our treaty with Goa’uld until four centuries ago when they believed they had grown beyond their need for our guidance or our protection. The snake was the symbol of the Kazari people who believed that they would prosper eternally. Technologically, they were far in advance of your people."

Janet said, "But you’ve no idea how this particular device would work?"

"They had no devices capable of transport between realities when we severed all links… with them. I am sorry…"

Jack said, "Hey, it’s okay. We’ll work it out."

Thor turned to Janet, "What is the condition of Daniel Jackson, Dr Fraiser?"

Janet quickly said, "He’s fine."

"Have you been able to make progress in your attempt to prevent his condition reaching its end stage?"

Trying to avoid the looks now upon her, Janet said, "No. But we should discuss that later, okay? I think I better suspend you before your condition deteriorates any more."

Thor nodded slightly and closed his eyes. Janet pressed a couple of buttons and the pod sealed again. 

Avoiding their gazes, Janet said, "Sorry, I hoped he might know something that could help you get back to your reality."

Jack and Teal’c looked at each other and then back at Janet.

Teal’c was the first to voice the question, "What condition did Thor speak of?"

Janet looked unsure what she should say.

Jack asked, "What’s going on with Daniel? End stage?"

Janet remained silent before, eventually, saying, "Look, I’d better get you back to the cell."

"Janet?"

"He’s dying, okay?!"

After a few seconds of silence, Jack said, "What?"

"He’s dying and I can’t find any way to stop it."

"Dying? How?"

"Prolonged exposure to the effects of the virus damages the organs. Lately, I’m lucky if a couple of hours go by without my having to heal him with the healing device. Surely you must have wondered why one of the most powerful weapons we have never even leaves the base?"

After a pause, she said, "There’s going to be a point, very soon, when it doesn’t work well enough anymore and he will die."

Teal’c suggested, "Would not a Tok’ra symbiote cure him of the virus and fully-restore his health?"

Anise shook her head, "THE ARMBAND IS SENSITIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF SYMBIOTES. AS IS THE VIRUS ITSELF. IN MUCH THE SAME WAY AS THE PRESENCE OF A JAFFA’S SYMBIOTE MAKES THE JAFFA IMMUNE TO INVASION BY ANOTHER SYMBIOTE, THE PRESENCE OF THE VIRUS MAKES BLENDING IMPOSSIBLE." 

Jack said, "Can’t you come up with some cure for the virus?"

"His immune system is incapable of recognising it. The only possibility of curing him would be to place him within a Goa’uld sarcophagus. At this point, I believe a sarcophagus would recognise the virus as such and proceed to eradicate it. However, we neither have access to a sarcophagus nor will Daniel ever allow himself to be placed within one again."

Janet sighed, "He’s going to die… and, every day until he does, he’ll lose more of himself. You know what overexposure to the sarcophagus does. The healing device is no different. Daniel was never the same after he came back from Astarte that time but it’s me that’s chipped away what was left of the man I used to know."

Her eyes brushed the ground, "Every time I save his life I take more of his soul from him. But the resistance needs him too much to let him die."

Arising from her reverie, she said, "I’d better take you back to the cell."

>< <> >< <> ><

The Jaffa were still staring at him but neither seemed to keen to approach him. Daniel could clearly read the fear in their eyes. Course, as far as they knew, he appeared to have killed their Goddess whilst manacled tightly to this board. Maybe they were worried he could shoot fire from his eyes or something. They both stood looking at him in silence. Obviously, they were waiting for Astarte to arise and tell them what they should do because the second the Sarcophagus lid began to move they hurried towards it.

As they bent over it, a thought struck Daniel. Astarte wasn’t *going* to arise. ‘Sam’ was. And she was still wearing the ribbon device…

The rippling blast of the ribbon device emanated from the sarcophagus and knocked the two Jaffa into the ceiling. As they fell heavily to the floor, ‘Sam’ sat up and looked around wildly. Her gaze fixing on him, she rapidly climbed out of the sarcophagus. As she moved, Daniel saw that, one by one, his manacles were opening. Astarte must have put them on a time-lock before she dove into him under the assumption that she would be in control by now. Before ‘Sam’ could reach him, the final manacle had opened and he jumped off of the board. 

Raising her ribbon device to him, she said, "Daniel, I’m so sorry…"

The blast knocked him off his feet and sent him slamming against the metal board. Groaning, he only slimly managed to roll out of the way of the second rippling blast. Sam raised her hand a third time but, this time, the blast didn’t come. Wide-eyed, Daniel watched the gem begin to glow but it flickered out again. Her hand shaking, Sam tried to compose herself and make the gem work. It failed again. Daniel knew it was only because Sam was fighting with herself and the second she resolved the conflict, he was dead. Knowing that his near future would be neatly summarized by the words ‘pain’ and ‘death’ if he didn’t convince her that he wasn’t the Goa’uld in the next five seconds, he glanced behind him and jumped back up onto the board. 

He said, "Press whatever locks these things down."

Looking at him oddly, she reached for the control panel. Keeping the ribbon device trained on him, she pressed a couple of buttons. The manacles slammed back into place.

He said quickly, "I can’t get out of these, right? So we can talk, right?"

Lowering the hand device slightly, she said coldly, "What is there to talk about, Astarte? You know I’m going to kill you."

"Sam, you heard me say that there was something you didn’t know before Astarte jumped into me?"

Wincing slightly, Sam replied, "I heard."

"Well, what I was trying to say was that I’m *not* Daniel Jackson… well, I *am* Daniel Jackson but not the Daniel Jackson from *this* reality."

"What?"

"I’m from an alternate reality. An alternate earth."

She still looked puzzled so he continued, "We stumbled into your reality by accident. The people in your SGC took us prisoner because they thought we were part of some mind game. Maybourne handed me over to the Jaffa because he hoped I’d pass as the Daniel from this reality. I think he hoped I’d become Amon’s host so the entropic cascade failure would kill him. But Astarte jumped into me instead. I could feel her before but then I had a reality shudder and now I can’t. I think it killed her."

"A reality shudder?"

"You know, entropic cascade failure. I mean, wait long enough and I’ll have one again but we’ve only got a finite amount of time before more Jaffa come."

‘Sam’ looked at him for a moment before shaking her head, "I can’t afford to trust you. Not with what you could be. Not with your abilities."

Not restricted from asking the question any longer, a bewildered Daniel asked, "What *abilities*? What the hell am I supposed to be able to do?"

‘Sam’ looked like she was fighting with herself as she replied, "Speed and strength like nothing even the… Goa’uld have seen."

Looking at her with disbelief, he said, "You’re kidding?"

Suddenly, there was the sound of several Jaffa stomping along the corridor. With renewed purpose ‘Sam’ raised the ribbon device. Daniel didn’t know what he could say. Locking gazes with her, he saw a destroyed soul within those eyes. Sam’s destroyed soul. And what she was about to do would finish her. Suddenly, it no longer mattered that this wasn’t his Sam. He couldn’t convince her that he wasn’t a Goa’uld – hell, he wasn’t even sure that he wasn’t – but he could at least try and stop her destroying herself in the process of killing him. 

Softly, he said, "Sam? You don’t have a choice. I understand."

Then a curious thing happened. Without moving her lips, ‘Sam’ shouted, "Daniel!"

Daniel and ‘Sam’ looked at one another. Then both their heads swung round to where her voice was coming from. There, beyond the smouldering remains of the door, stood an almost-identical Samantha with a primed staff against the back of her head. 

The lead Jaffa walked in and knelt in front of ‘Sam’. 

He said, "<We apprehended this impostor, my queen, whilst awaiting Lord Amon’s arrival.>"

Accepting the news with a nod and dismissing all the Jaffa with a hand gesture, ‘Sam’ looked at the new arrival with disbelief. The new arrival was looking at ‘herself’ with fear. However, glancing past her, she looked at Daniel.

Daniel locked gazes with her and suddenly understood what was going on, "Sam!"

Turning back to ‘herself’, Sam said, "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Astarte… but your boyfriend’s dead and his motherships are putting on a little firewo…"

Then she cut off as a reality shudder grabbed her. 

"Sam!"

As it passed, Sam looked up into her own eyes. ‘Sam’ looked at her and said, "He’s dead?"

Slightly disorientated, Sam nodded. 

"And the fleet is…?"

Straightening up, Sam replied, "Debris."

‘Sam’ looked towards Daniel then back towards ‘herself’. Swinging around to Daniel again, she said, "You really aren’t Daniel?"

Shaking his head, Daniel replied, "No, well, not the one you thought I was. I’m from her reality."

Turning to Sam, ‘Sam’ said, "Is this Daniel from your reality?"

Sam went to nod but then realised that she had the opportunity to check on Daniel’s condition, "I’m not sure. I’ll know if I talk to him."

‘Sam’ gestured acceptingly so Sam walked over to where Daniel was manacled and quietly said, "Daniel, you all right?"

But before he could answer, she felt it. Eyes widening, her hand pressed against the back of his neck and she shuddered. Seeing the fear flash across her face, Daniel said, "Astarte… jumped out of ‘Sam’ and into me."

As he watched her back away, he said, "But I had one of those shudder things before Astarte could take control… and I think it killed her or, at least, disorientated her for now."

Sam span back round to look at ‘Sam’, "You’re *not* a Goa’uld?"

‘Sam’ shook her head and Sam replied, "We’ll need to get out of here. How do you unlock these things?"

‘Sam’ said, "Even if he is the Daniel from your reality… He could still be a Goa’uld."

"I know."

"If we let him go and he’s a Goa’uld then they’ll be no way to stop him."

Picking up a zat off of the table, Sam said, "This should stop him pretty effectively."

When ‘Sam’ looked very confused, Daniel explained to Sam, "Apparently the ‘me’ here has ‘abilities’."

"He does?"

Shrugging was extremely hard when you had four manacles on each limb but Daniel attempted it anyway, "Apparently."

Daniel turned to ‘Sam’, "Look, Sam’ll back me up on this. I have the strength of *one* man and the speed of *one* man. No super-powers of any description – unless you count my supernatural ability to get into ludicrous situations like this."

‘Sam’ turned to Sam who, somewhat confusedly, replied, "Yeah, he’s telling the truth. No ‘abilities’."

Looking uncertain for a moment, ‘Sam’ reached for the controls and quickly tapped in the release sequence. As Daniel’s manacles snapped open for the second time, Daniel jumped down off of the board and said, "Okay, now what?"

Turning to the computer in the corner, ‘Sam’ said, "Now we reclaim earth."

As she sat down at it, she continued, "It won’t be too long before the other System Lords catch the scent of blood in the water but, right now, there’s a chance."

"To do what?"

‘Sam’ was looking at several different monitors as she added, "I’ve downloaded all the codes and frequencies. If we can get these to the base then there’s a chance we can take back earth."

Daniel said, "But how’ll we get out of here? And even if we can; how are we gonna get back to the base?"

‘Sam’ said, "I can get us out of here."

Without so much as a skipped beat, Sam continued, "And I can get us back to the base."

‘Sam’ turned to her, "How?"

Reaching down her leg, Sam pulled up her dress slightly and detached the Tok’ra communicator from her garter. 

Straightening up, she pressed down on it and said, "This is Major Carter. Come in."

After a pause, the Jaffa on the other end replied, "Major Carter… we believed you had perished in the explosion."

"I ringed down to the palace. Can you come pick us up?"

"Amon’s defence system is still operational."

Catching ‘Sam’s’ eye, Sam said, "Let me get back to you on that…"

Lowering the communicator, Sam said, "Can you bring the defence system down from here?"

Pressing buttons as she talked, ‘Sam’ replied, "I can’t disable the full defence system from here but… Astarte got the occasional delivery that she thought it was better Amon didn’t know about…"

After a pause, she continued, "Just send them these codes. They’ll get them through the defences."

As Sam quickly read down the screen, she pressed down on the com device and said, "I’m sending you the codes to bypass the defences. Ready?"

"We are prepared."

"Okay…"

As Sam started relaying the codes, Daniel turned to ‘Sam’ who looked round questioningly. Her eyes sent a silent demand that he explain why he was looking at her.

By way of explanation, Daniel twitched his head towards the door and said, "Footsteps. Someone’s coming."

Leaving Sam to finish sending the codes, ‘Sam’ gestured for Daniel to follow her to the door. Peering around the shattered remains, Daniel saw a group of Jaffa heading towards them. Slamming himself against the wall, he looked across at ‘Sam’ who was doing the same. 

She muttered, "Damn it."

Daniel asked, "What’s the problem? Aren’t these… Astarte’s Jaffa?"

‘Sam’ shook her head, "Astarte was never the most loyal of queens. These Jaffa are loyal only to Amon. He left them here as a little insurance policy in case she got any ideas. No doubt, they’ve seen the fireworks show and assume Astarte’s behind it."

"What’re we going to do? We can’t take all of them."

"I’ve got an idea. Step into the corridor."

"That’s your idea?"

"All I’ve got time to tell you. If you really are Daniel then you’ll trust me."

Daniel looked at her. Behind all the hurt and mistrust, it was still Sam. He had always trusted Sam with his life but… well, if he expected her to trust him…"

"All right… but this plan better be good."

"It’s a great plan. Now get out there."

Praying that he was right to trust her, Daniel stepped through the hole in the door. The Jaffa stopped so quickly there was a clatter of metal as Jaffa piled into one another. Resisting the urge to bolt down the corridor, Daniel stood firm. Willing Sam to do whatever it was she was planning. Daniel watched the first two Jaffa level their staffs at him whilst surreptiously shuffling backwards. He noted that a few of the Jaffa at the back of the pile-up had disappeared. Experimentally, Daniel took a step forwards. As one man, the Jaffa stepped backwards. They obviously thought he was SuperDan but since he wasn’t going to be able to do any superhuman stuff, it was only a matter of time until one of them would chance their luck and fire at him. And, as with all perfectly normal humans, the staff blast would leave a serious ‘dent’. Resisting the urge to gulp, Daniel glanced involuntarily towards the door. ‘Sam’ was conspicuous by her absence. Beginning to think that her entire plan went something like ‘step into the corridor and get shot whilst I slip out the back way’, Daniel tried to think up a new one. The staff weapons waving at him were proving to be quite a distraction, however. 

Suddenly, ‘Sam’ said, "Daniel, catch."

Glancing at the door, Daniel barely had time to react but was just able to grab the blurred object as it moved towards him. Once it was in his hands, he focused on the sphere. A primed shock grenade. Oh, that was nice. 

Snapping his eyes shut, he launched the grenade towards the Jaffa. The flash began in mid-air. Even through his eye-lids, it was blinding. And the screeching wasn’t any more pleasant than he remembered it being. Dazedly, he felt himself hit the floor and, as his hearing returned, heard the sound of a zat being repeatedly discharged. 

As if hearing her from underwater, Sam’s voice was distorted as she said, "Daniel? Daniel?"

That was right about when he lost consciousness. 

>< <> >< <> ><

Kneeling beside her friend, Sam anxiously said, "Daniel? Daniel?"

Daniel didn’t respond. Sam looked up sharply to where ‘Sam’ was zatting the Jaffa, "You *could’ve* just thrown the grenade." 

Pausing during her zatting of the Jaffa, ‘Sam’ replied, "Needed a distraction. There was no way they were gonna pay attention to anything with ‘him’ standing in front of them."

Sharply, Sam replied, "So why did you wait so long?"

"Had to get it primed."

"That takes five seconds. What about the other minute and a half?"

"I… I was checking he wasn’t Astarte, okay?"

"Okay…?! You nearly got him killed! And now he’s unconscious and, even when he comes to, he’s going to be blind for hours."

"Look, it’s not a problem; I’ve got an antidote for the blindness right here. And at least we know he’s not Astarte now…"

Having vaporised the last Jaffa, ‘Sam’ came over and pressed a syringe into Daniel’s neck, "There. That will replenish the damaged proteins in his optic receptor cells. Now, we’d better get out of here. It’s only a matter of time until more Jaffa show up."

Pulling Daniel’s arm across her shoulder, Sam waited for ‘Sam’ to do the same with his other arm before they got to their feet.

‘Sam’ said, "All right. We’ll try and make it up to the rings…"

"Uh, there might be a problem there."

"What?"

"I got the Jaffa on the cargo ship to take out Amon by reconfiguring the rings to overload then smashing them through into his pel’tac. They haven’t got any rings to ring us up with. We need to get to the surface."

"We can’t reach ground level in this palace. It’s too heavily guarded and the defence system can’t be bypassed by anyone but Amon."

"Then what’re we going to do?"

"There’s another way to the surface. There’s an underground facility near here that Astarte was secretly constructing behind Amon’s back. We can get to the surface from there."

"And how exactly do we get there?"

"There’s a series of tunnels connecting it to this palace. The entrance is on the floor below this."

"All right. How do we get *there*?"

"This way."

As they pulled Daniel back into the room again, Sam looked around, "But there’s no other way out of here."

‘Sam’ motioned for them to lay Daniel down. After he was on the ground again, ‘Sam’ said, "Astarte was never one to let herself get backed into a corner."

As she spoke, she pressed down on the back of her ribbon device. There was a slight grinding noise before, over to their right, one of the ornate pillars slid aside to reveal a narrow opening. Pulling Daniel’s arm back across her shoulder, ‘Sam’ said, "Come on… we don’t have long before it’ll close up again."

Helping to pull Daniel upright, Sam groaned slightly, "This’d be easier if you hadn’t knocked Daniel out."

"Look, just come on."

Once they’d managed to squeeze their way through the gap, Sam looked around. The corridor in here wasn’t much wider than the gap they’d just crawled into. As the pillar slid back into place, darkness engulfed them.

"How exactly do we see where we’re going?"

Suddenly, the entire corridor was illuminated with a steady orange glow. 

‘Sam’ simply replied, "Like this. Now come on."

They sidled along for a couple of minutes with Daniel still slumped between them. Eventually, they came to a small chamber barely big enough for the three of them to sit in. 

‘Sam’ said, "Okay, we should be safe here for now."

"Thought the idea was to get out of here. Why are we hiding here?"

"There’s a patrol due past the hidden entrance any minute now. If we went now then we’d probably run into them."

Lowering Daniel to the ground, Sam tried to rouse him again. This time, her friend began to move.

"Daniel?"

Eyes squinting in protest, Daniel murmured, "Sam?"

"You okay?"

"Think so. What happened?"

"Shock grenade."

Blinking, Daniel replied, "Oh, yeah… Hey, how long have I been out?"

"Few minutes."

"Huh? How come I can see? That thing went off five feet in front of me."

Flicking her eyes across at ‘Sam’, Sam explained, "She gave you something."

"Yeah, I know. A primed shock grenade. Thanks for that, by the way."

‘Sam’ snapped, "You’re welcome."

"Can see why you didn’t feel like sharing the rest of the plan with me."

"You’re alive, aren’t you?"

"Your concern is touching."

Sam said, "Would you two stop it? We’ve got more important things to worry about at the moment. Now, when should those Jaffa be passing by?"

"Any minute now."

"How’ll we be sure they’re passed us?"

"Are you kidding? These lower floors are made of metal and the Jaffa are in full armour. We’d hear them from the other end of the complex."

Indicating the jewellery ‘Sam’ and Sam were weighed down with, Daniel said, "Speaking of that… that lot’s not exactly conducive to stealth."

Realising Daniel had a point, both Sams began unfastening catches. Chains and pendants flowed to the ground. Once she finished doing that, Sam unsheathed the knife strapped to her other garter. 

Daniel wryly said, "Remind me never to date you."

The two of them grinned at each other before Sam got to work on the bottom of her dress with the knife. ‘Sam’, watching the moment of friendship between the other two, had to turn away. Daniel noticed the motion and, despite his current annoyance at her, felt compelled to ask, "Hey, you okay?"

Surprised he appeared to be talking to her again, ‘Sam’ replied, "I… can’t remember the last time Daniel smiled at me like that. Or the last thing we joked about… before I…"

‘Sam’ had been running on autopilot since she’d been freed from Astarte and, Daniel realised, the emotional fallout was overdue.

Using his gentlest tone, Daniel reached over and grasped her shoulder, "Sam…"

Shaking him off irritably, ‘Sam’ said, "I’m fine."

Daniel’s expression made it clear that he didn’t believe that.

‘Sam’ broke, "All right, so I’m clearly not fine! But I’ll go to pieces later, okay? Right now, can we just focus on getting out of here?"

As Daniel nodded and sat back, he saw that Sam had used a strip from the bottom of her dress as a makeshift way to tie her temporary long hair off of her face. 

‘Sam’ looked over at her, "Hey, can I borrow the knife?"

As Sam handed it over, ‘Sam’ bunched her hair up into a loose ponytail which, tipping her head to the side, she began slicing through. Hair fluttered to the ground as the slick blade sliced through the layers. When she was finished, her hair was a mess but she looked distinctly happier than before. 

Handing the knife back over to Sam, she briefly locked eyes with her, "Thank you."

Daniel, meanwhile, was trying to remain conscious. Even before the shock grenade, it’d been a struggle and now it was taking actual effort. The echoes of the torture-stick still throbbing painfully through every part of him every time he so much as breathed. And the pain in the back of his neck was, if anything, increasing. Whilst all this made it almost certain that Astarte was dead, that fact didn’t make it hurt any less. 

Sam caught the flicker of pain in his eyes and said, "Are you gonna be okay?"

Trying to swallow down the pain, Daniel nodded, "I’ll survive… but how long do you think we’ve got?"

"I’ve only had the one tremor so far."

Daniel nodded painfully, "Yeah, me too."

‘Sam’ said, "If you’re following the same pattern as… uh… Dr Carter did then you should still have a couple of days before…"

She didn’t need to complete the sentence. Everyone knew exactly how it was going to end unless they could get back to their own reality. They nodded.

Suddenly, the clanking began. They remained silent but Sam glanced round at Daniel’s neck and probed feelingly at the nasty slit there. As she pressed her hand down comfortingly on his shoulder, she noticed the way he was guarding his abdomen. Grabbing at the bottom seam of his ragged T-shirt, she shifted the material up to reveal the mess of energy scars across it. The pattern was unmistakeable. A Goa’uld torture-stick. Firmly, Daniel pushed the material back down and flashed his eyes over to where ‘Sam’ was peering out at the passing Jaffa.

As he locked eyes with Sam, she could read the message, ‘Not something she needs to deal with, okay?’

Sam nodded in assent but flashed her eyes at him in a way that clearly said, ‘but you’re totally sure you’re okay?’ He nodded in response.

As the clanking died away again, ‘Sam’ said, "Okay, they’re gone. Let’s go."

Getting to her feet, Sam helped Daniel up. She wished she wasn’t in the Goa’uld get-up because she didn’t feel like herself in these designer rags. If she’d been wearing fatigues then she’d have felt more in control of the situation and a damn sight more comfortable. 

Pushing the panel she’d been peering out through open, ‘Sam’ crept out into the corridor. Turning to them, she said, "This way."

Heading quickly out into the corridor, the two of them followed her through several more black metal rooms. Daniel involuntarily shuddered at the sight of another metal board like the one he’d been strapped to. There was only one thin manacle per limb on this one, though, so it’d only been designed to hold mere mortals. 

As they reached the back of the final room, ‘Sam’ stood before a full-length mirror and pressing something on the back of her ribbon device, waved her hand across it. Suddenly, the mirror retracted into the floor. ‘Sam’ stepped through into the darkness with the others close behind her. The mirror closed up behind them. 

>< <> >< <> ><

Sitting in the cell, Teal’c wondered about his friends. Where were Major Carter and Daniel Jackson? Was it possible that they yet lived? Yes, well he knew the strength, skill and resourcefulness of his friends. However, even if they were still alive, it was only a matter of time until the entropic cascade failure would kill them. 

O’Neill was prowling the cell in the manner of a caged animal. His agitation was severe and increased steadily with every second that passed. Finally he grabbed his hair with his hands and looked almost as if he was trying to wrench his head off as he screamed in frustration.

Concerned, Teal’c said, "O’Neill."

Vocalising his thoughts, Jack snapped, "We’re stuck here, Teal’c. We’re stuck here for good."

"Daniel Jackson may yet allow us use of the gate, O’Neill."

"So we can do what, exactly? Thor is like the smartest guy in the Universe and *he* doesn’t even know how to work it so don’t exactly like *our* chances."

"Thor stated merely that he had never encountered the device we spoke of. It is of little wonder that he does not know how it operates. When the writings are fully translated, its operations should become clear."

"Teal’c, between the two of us we know English, passable Spanish, Goa’uld and as much Latin as we learned in the loop. Even *Daniel* was having a hard time translating it. You heard him, it’s in like seventeen different languages and they’re all mixed up. Plus it’s all in the form of cryptic crossword clues and you know how hopeless I am at those."

"Then you no longer believe that Daniel Jackson and Major Carter will return?"

Jack span round at the comment and cried, "Do you?!"

"There is always hope, O’Neill. And I would never underestimate the abilities of either of our friends."

"Even if they did come back… we’re running out of time to get them back to our reality."

"Which is why we must persist in our attempts to obtain free access to the gate."

Jack looked away. ‘Daniel’ was never going to let them through the gate. He hated him for being the guy who made him abandon everything he believed in… then abandoned *him*. He hated Daniel for being everything he had betrayed and because he hated himself. He hated Carter because he’d had to block out every memory of her to be able to survive Astarte’s relentless games. In fact, the only one of them that he didn’t hate was Teal’c. He was never going to let them through that gate. Besides…

Vocalising his thoughts as he continued, Jack said, "You heard the Doc. ‘Daniel’s’ more Goa’uld than human now. He’s not gonna let us through the gate."

"He is powerful and arrogant. He is violent. He has little use for compassion or mercy. Yet he was once the same Daniel Jackson as he who is our friend."

After a pause, Teal’c said, "He has offered us access to the gate once. We must convince him to grant us access once more."

>< <> >< <> ><

It seemed like there had been darkness forever. Unlike that first passageway, this one had no lighting installed. However, it was simple enough to navigate if you just kept you hand pressed against the left wall. 

Daniel asked, "Exactly how much further does this thing run for?"

‘Sam’ replied, "Should be less than a mile now. There’s an exit to the surface just as we reach the underground complex so we won’t have to deal with Astarte’s Jaffa there."

After a pause, a thoughtful ‘Sam’ asked, "Is ‘Daniel’ still in control of the base?"

Sam replied, "Yeah. He was the one that sent me to sabotage the attack."

After another long pause, Daniel said, "‘Sam’? Are you okay?"

"I… I’d just sort of figured he must be dead… that the resistance were just keeping the idea of him alive. I mean I never knew for certain but there’d been no sign of him for so long…. I… didn’t think I’d ever… oh god…"

Daniel stumbled slightly as he walked into the back of an immobile ‘Sam’. 

He said, "Sam?"

"I… can’t… I just can’t... you have no idea what I did to him…"

"You are not Astarte."

After a slight pause in which ‘Sam’ seemed to be trying to keep herself from hyperventilating, she said, "She took too much of me… played at being me ‘til I didn’t know where she ended and I began."

After another pause, she said, "I can’t go back there… but I have to, don’t I? And I’ll have to look him in the eye and…"

She trailed off but started moving again. They walked along in silence for a while. Daniel and Sam were both wondering just exactly how Daniel *was* going to react when he saw ‘Sam’. Sam prayed that her double’s appearance would help bring out the real Daniel buried under all that anger. Daniel, who had a deeper understanding of ‘himself’, felt his thoughts turn down a disturbing path. Loudly, he thought to himself ‘He wouldn’t’… ‘No, really, I know I don’t like him but he wouldn’t’… but the dark thought could still just be heard over the others, ‘he might snap… he might kill her."

As he finally reached the ladder to the surface, Daniel squinted against the intruding brightness. As he started to climb he could hear Sam – with ‘Sam’s’ help – trying to guide the Cargo ship to their new position. As he started to climb he tried to leave that thought behind him where it belonged. Locked in the dark. 

>< <> >< <> ><

Sitting in the back of the cargo ship, Daniel looked across at Sam. Her uniform had been in the ship but, knowing ‘Sam’ wanted to put as much distance as was possible between herself and Astarte, she’d generously donated the fatigues to her with the exception of the jacket which she’d slipped on over her shredded dress. Not wanting to walk another metre in Astarte’s heeled shoes, Sam was now wearing a spare set of Jaffa boots there’d been stowed in the ship. They were about six sizes too big for her. She was certainly an odd sight.

Daniel was feeling slightly more upbeat. They were on their way back to the base. And with Amon dead and his fleet in flames thanks to Sam ‘Daniel’ would surely have no choice but to let them through the gate. Almost surely, that was. They still had time. Still a couple of days, hopefully. But they were going to need time to figure out how to make the device work. 

Sam had obviously been thinking along the same lines because she said, "He should let us through the gate now. That was the deal."

‘Sam’ was up in front with the Jaffa so the two of them were relatively free to talk. Daniel glanced at Sam, "Jack wouldn’t have let you go, you know."

Defensively, she said, "It was his idea that we did something in exchange for access to the gate, wasn’t it? Well, I was the one who could do something. And it wasn’t like it was wholly selfless. I’m dead anyway unless we get through the gate. He couldn’t have protected me from that."

The door slid aside and ‘Sam’ came back into the back of the cargo ship, "We’ll be at the base in a few minutes."

Sam continued, "Anyway, the Colonel and Teal’c might’ve managed to get through to him."

Daniel smiled wryly, "Yeah, if there’s one person who can get through to him then it’s got to be Jack, doesn’t it?"

It took them a moment to notice the sub-zero chill in the air. Looking round, they saw ‘Sam’ frozen to the spot with an increasing look of horror on her face.

The words barely escaping from her frozen lips, she breathed, "Jack… is here? Alive?"

Cursing herself for forgetting that ‘Jack’ and ‘Teal’c’ were dead, Sam gently said, "Yeah."

Seeming to lose the power in her legs, ‘Sam’ was only saved from a painful meeting with the floor thanks to Daniel’s leap to his feet to catch her mid-way.

"Hey, you okay?"

Sitting her on the floor, Daniel waited for an answer. Eventually, Sam timidly volunteered, "I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about the fact that he died in this reality."

Still barely above a whisper, ‘Sam’ asked, "Did they tell you? Did they tell you how he died?"

Carefully, Sam said, "Just that he was trying to rescue you."

After a pause, ‘Sam’ whispered, "He caught up with us… with me and the Jaffa… but we were too close to the palace by then. There were too many Jaffa. And he got captured. Amon kept him prisoner until I… until Astarte… and then he got her to…"

Her voice breaking too much to continue, she paused. After gathering herself slightly, she quietly breathed, "She left the body near Cheyenne… for them to find. So they could see what had happened to their leader…"

Sam and Daniel glanced over at each other. 

Looking like she was having to try hard not to cry, ‘Sam’ brokenly continued, "Astarte laughed in his face. I remember thinking that I knew how to work the ribbon device. Thinking I could make her stop if I just tried hard enough. Thinking something had to happen now. Something had to save him… and then… then he was lying there on the floor."

After a silence that the other two had no idea how to fill, she said, "When Daniel tried to save me… the first time he tried… I… Astarte told him everything… You… you should’ve seen what it did to him… what I did to him… how can I even look at him after everything that’s happened?"

Sam shuddered inside. The image of herself with a cruel smile on her face and a ribbon device on her hand with one of her friends on the other end of it was too awful to even think about. 

One of the Jaffa walked through, "We have reached Cheyenne Mountain. They are growing a tunnel to the surface so that we may enter. We have been instructed that an escort shall meet us at the surface."

>< <> >< <> ><

Lying on the floor of the cell, Jack stared at the blank ceiling. This whole experience was like a bad dream. He wondered what Daniel had felt like that first time he’d stumbled into an alternate reality and found his friends transformed into something almost unrecognisable and in the middle of a nightmare scenario. How lost must Daniel have felt? How many times must he have pinched himself and said, ‘this can’t be happening’? How hard must he have wanted to click his heels together and say ‘there’s no place like home’? Geez, he hadn’t even known that it *was* an alternate reality to begin with. 

He was roused from his contemplation by a noise at the door. Suddenly, it swung open. Janet was standing there. 

Wild-eyed, she said, "They did it! They killed him!"

"Who? Killed who?"

"Your Sam and Daniel! They… they killed Amon and blew up the fleet and somehow they killed Astarte and rescued Sam as well!"

"They what?!"

"We’ve known about the fleet’s destruction for a few hours. I didn’t want to tell you because at the time it was reported that Sam had died in the explosion."

Hope filling him, Jack said, "She’s okay?"

"They both are. Some of the other Tok’ra have taken the tunnels up to the surface to meet them. They should be down here any minute. And they’ve got *our* Sam with them. Come on."

He and Teal’c got to their feet and raced after the Tok’ra doctor. She led them to the entrance to the crystal tunnel. ‘Daniel’ was already standing there.

Jack said, "Oh, you so owe us the first flight out of here."

‘Daniel’ just blanked him and watched the tunnel entrance. Impatiently, Jack wrung his hands together. He’d heard that they were alive. Now, he just wanted to see it for himself that they were okay. And they were taking forever. 

Suddenly, two Tok’ra appeared at the entrance. Then, behind them, came the Jaffa escort and then… 

There was Daniel and Sam and ‘Sam’. For a second he thought that the Sam in fatigues was ‘his’ one but the stunned look she gave him told him that this was ‘their’ Sam. Daniel and Sam both looked rather tired but Daniel was definitely the worse off. He looked close to dropping. But both of them were *alive*… 

Jack didn’t even bother with words. Instead, he strode forward and grabbed Daniel in a rough embrace. Daniel smiled strongly at the show of affection by his friend even as he winced with the pain. Apologetically, he pulled back and, instead, offered himself as support to an already unsteady Dr Jackson. Carter meanwhile, came forward. 

Remonstratively, Jack said, "You are in oh so much trouble…"

Before she could defend herself, he added, "…that said, well done, Major."

Smiling, Sam said, "Thank-you, sir."

As Teal’c came forward to join them, the four of them became aware of the tableaux beside them. ‘Daniel’ and ‘Sam’ were standing staring at each other. Neither was moving. 

Janet broke the frozen scene by stepping between them and carefully reaching for ‘Sam’s’ hand.

She said, "Welcome home, Sam."

A twisted smile appeared on ‘Sam’s’ face for a moment but quickly faded again. 

‘Daniel’ finally spoke, "The Jaffa said you had the information?"

Nodding, ‘Sam’ produced the information crystals she’d downloaded. Blurring, ‘Daniel’ took them from her and disappeared. Everyone stood silent from a moment. 

By way of explanation, Janet said, "We don’t have a lot of time. The system lords already know Amon’s dead. We’ve got to get the defences under our control *now*. Come on, he’s gone up to the control-room."

They walked in silence along the corridor and then up the stairs to the control room. ‘Daniel’ was there already and doing an impression of a miniature whirlwind. They were forced to stand at the door and wait whilst the blur continued to move everywhere. Then suddenly, it blew past them down into the gate-room where it appeared to switch around all the cables attached to the gate. 

Jack asked, "What’s he doing?"

Janet muttered, "Going too damn fast…"

She doubled back and ran down the stairs to the gate-room. Sam and Daniel, meanwhile, had pulled ‘Sam’ aside and were talking to her too quietly for Jack to hear what was said. He and Teal’c moved properly into the control-room and watched Daniel blurring round the gate. Janet appeared at the door and yelled something at the blur which, gradually, slowed to become a white and shivering ‘Daniel’ who slumped against the gate. Rushing up the ramp, Janet pulled the healing device out of the pouch on her belt and pulled it onto her hand. As the orange glow sprang up, Jack flicked his eyes round to where the others were talking. By the time he’d looked back round, ‘Daniel’ was pushing Janet’s hand out of the way and pulling himself to his feet. And he looked up… and saw Jack looking at him. He turned away as if ashamed that he’d been seen like that but then he looked back with angry defiance. 

Softly, in his head, Jack found himself thinking, ‘who do you fight now, Danny?’

As he trudged back up the stairs, Sam, Daniel and ‘Sam’ came fully into the room – unaware of what had just happened. 

‘Sam’ looked at ‘Daniel’ as he walked in. He turned away and snapped something at Janet who nodded slightly and said, "‘Sam’, come with me."

‘Sam’ murmured something to Sam who nodded slightly and said, "Can I come too?"

Janet nodded and motioned from them to follow her out of the room. 

‘Sam’ said, pleadingly, "‘Daniel’…?"

‘Daniel’ didn’t look up. Instead, he sat down at one of the computers and started typing. 

After a pause, she said, "Please… look at me… please…"

When he refused to look round, she said, "‘Daniel’…"

Daniel snapped at the guards, "Get her out of here."

Tears rolling down her cheeks, ‘Sam’ allowed herself to be taken away with Janet and Sam in tow. Meanwhile, ‘Daniel’ said to some of the other rebels, "All right, let’s get the message out."

Teal’c had to jump to grab Jack before he tried to take another ill-advised swing at ‘Daniel’. However, neither of them noticed Daniel move until they heard his voice. 

"You heartless son of a bitch!"

Standing up, ‘Daniel’ slowly turned to him with a lazy smile on his face which was quickly wiped from it when Daniel’s fist made contact with his chin and sent him crashing to the ground. 

‘Daniel’ felt his bleeding lip and looked up at his furious double with an air of angered amusement. As he got back to his feet, the angrily vibrating Daniel didn’t even back away.

"Oh sorry, Doc, was that *insensitive* of me?"

Daniel scowled, "She hasn’t done anything wrong. You can’t blame her for what Astarte did."

"I don’t have time for this. I have more important things to worry about righ…"

Daniel turned to ‘himself’ with eyes flaring. 

He yelled, "Shut up!"

‘Daniel’ visibly flinched at the outburst. Recovering quickly, he retook his intimidating predatory stance. Jack wasn’t surprised by the fact that Daniel looked undaunted by the fact. Daniel would happily stare down anyone. It was as if he didn’t come equipped with that little voice that tells you that you’ve bitten off more than you could chew. Despite everything, though, Jack had to admit that it was amusing to watch Daniel lose it at *himself*.

‘Daniel’ snarled, "Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?!"

Gesticulating wildly, Daniel yelled, "I’m talking to *myself*! Go back three years: I’m you; you’re me. We are both the same damn person and god that scares the hell out of me!"

Jack could see that ‘Daniel’ was close to losing it so he said, "Daniel… leave it."

Turning to Jack, Daniel asked, "Why? Sorry, am I supposed to be scared of him or something? Already been tortured and Goa’ulded today and tomorrow isn’t looking much better." 

‘Daniel’ growled, "Do I scare you, Doc? Well, this is your dark side so take a good look at yourself."

"You’re not my dark side. You’re just a jerk!"

Pointing out of the door, ‘Daniel’ replied, "You think you understand me. You could never understand. What I am now… what I’ve had to become. You’ve no idea how powerful I am… and you have no idea what she put me through, you sanctimonious son of a bitch!"

With the last word, his hand blurred and suddenly, Daniel was flying backwards. As he impacted the huge glass window, it shattered and Daniel plummeted to the ground. The thump was sickening.

Jack frantically cried, "Daniel!"

Rushing to the gap where the window had been, Jack saw his friend lying bonelessly on the ground. Teal’c was already on his way down the stairs to the gate-room as Jack pulled himself back from the window and rushed down the stairs after him. Teal’c was kneeling by Daniel’s side by the time Jack reached them. 

"Teal’c?"

"He is breathing but he requires urgent medical attention."

Jack looked up to the broken window. ‘Daniel’ was still standing there. 

Jack yelled up, "For god’s sake, get a medic!"

A female voice said, "There’s already one here, Colonel…"

Janet appeared at the window, "I heard the smash and… Oh god…"

Her head darted round to Daniel, "What the hell did you do?"

Her head disappeared. A few moments later, she ran into the gate-room. Dropping by Daniel’s side, she splayed her hand. The orange glow of the healing device sprang up. Hovering it above his head, she concentrated. 

Originally focused solely on Daniel, Jack slowly became aware of the fact that Teal’c was no longer at his side. Just as he looked round to see where Teal’c had gone, Jack heard his voice coming from above. 

"Daniel Jackson, you cannot continue like this. You are dangerous."

There was a heavy thump. Oh god, what had he done to Teal’c? Racing back up the stairs, Jack wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see but, whatever it was, it wasn’t what he saw: Teal’c crouching over the crumpled form of Daniel Jackson.

Disbelievingly, Jack said, "You knocked him out?"

As he tried to rouse ‘Daniel’, Teal’c shook his head, "I did not, O’Neill. He has collapsed again."

>< <> >< <> ><

The two Sams had been taken onwards by the guards despite the fact Janet had doubled back after hearing a sound. Neither Sam was sure what the sound had been. Now the two of them were in a bare room waiting for Janet to arrive again.

Sitting on the chair, ‘Sam’ said to the guards, "Could I talk to… Sam… alone, please?"

The guards nodded and walked outside, leaving the two Sams alone.

Sam asked, "What is it?"

‘Sam’ just stared up at her for a while. She studied her face. Studied her eyes. 

After a while, she said, "You shouldn’t have saved me."

Confused, Sam asked, "Why?"

Closing her eyes for a minute as if she wasn’t used to having to think, she replied, "There are two of us in this reality. If I were dead it would reduce the entropy. You could exist in this reality long enough to get back to your one."

"I wouldn’t let you die just to save myself. You of all people should know me better than that."

"But you… and your reality… still have a chance. Of happiness, if nothing else."

Sam asked, "You don’t think that you have a chance?"

‘Sam’ didn’t answer for a while. Eventually, she seemed to find her voice and, staring at the ceiling, replied, "For two years, I watched as she used me to kill and destroy… I will always know about that. I will never be able to forget. How can I ever be happy after that? After watching her use my knowledge to cripple the rebellion and my feelings to torture the people I cared about? Never being able to believe that it was impossible to stop her? Always wondering if I could have stopped her if I’d been stronger or smarter or…"

The tears were in her eyes again and she fell into silence as it became too difficult to speak. Sam felt almost guilty that she’d been allowed to live in her reality whilst this version of herself had had to go through all that. 

When she was finally able to speak again, ‘Sam’ said, "You saw the way he looked at me. The way they all look at me. I’m a Goa’uld to them and I always will be. I was insane to think he’d ever be able to forgive me. I killed his best friend and their leader. I tortured him so badly…"

"Astarte did."

"You saw his face. You think he even knows the difference anymore? I knew it the last time I saw him. He’d given up on me. Stopped seeing me as anything but a Goa’uld. He had to. There were too many other people depending on him…"

Suddenly, there was a bustle of activity outside. Leaping across to the door, Sam saw a stretcher rush past. She gasped as saw who was on it. 

"Daniel!"

Jack and Teal’c looked round at the sound of her voice, so she added, "What happened?"

Jack snarled, "That super-powered son of a bitch sent him through the window."

With that, he turned and sprinted after the stretcher. ‘Sam’ had come to the door by now and said, "Why would ‘Daniel’ do that?"

Teal’c, who despite glancing worriedly after the stretcher, had remained, replied, "I will explain…."

>< <> >< <> ><

Jack sat by Daniel’s side. Janet had disappeared off somewhere with ‘Daniel’ and left the other medics to deal with his battered friend. At least she’d repaired the really serious damage but Daniel was still an unconscious mess of bruising.

As he’d knelt there beside the son of a bitch who’d almost killed his friend, he’d felt conflicted about calling for Janet. His Daniel was more important and a hell of a lot more worth saving than that husk of humanity who, let’s face it, was dying anyway. 

Then, barely a whisper, Daniel had breathed, "Jack… that you?"

And he knew that he wasn’t the Jack that ‘Daniel’ was talking about. He was talking about *his* Jack.

He heard Teal’c shout, "Dr Frasier, ‘Daniel Jackson’ has collapsed."

Quietly, though, he replied, "Yeah, Danny, it’s me."

"It hurts, Jack…"

"I know, Danny. But it’s gonna be okay…"

Then ‘Daniel’ had lost consciousness again. 

Arising from his contemplation, Jack looked down at his friend and saw that Daniel was looking up at him.

Jack said, "Daniel?"

"Hey, Jack… what just happened?"

"You just sent yourself through a plate-glass window, that’s all."

"Oh yeah... now I remember…"

"Daniel, I understand the sentiment but not really the best idea in the world to piss off the guy who decides whether or not we get through the gate – especially when he could punch a hole in a concrete wall."

"Sorry… I just couldn’t stand him talking to her like that. She’s been through so much already."

"So have you, from the sounds of it."

Daniel looked at him questioningly, so Jack quoted, "Already been tortured and Goa’ulded today."

"Oh yeah…." 

"Care to elaborate?"

"Long story."

Indicating Daniel’s current state, Jack asked, "Going anywhere soon?"

"Alright…"

>< <> >< <> ><

Jack looked in the door of ‘Sam’s’ room. She slept now because Janet had sedated her a few hours ago. It’d do her some good. He couldn’t even imagine what she’d been through. Even from the little she’d told Daniel, it sounded like more than a person could stand. He couldn’t blame his friend for going nuts at ‘Daniel’ – especially seeing as he didn’t know the whole story about him. Daniel had rather hesitantly told him that ‘Jack’ had been killed by Astarte. Now he knew what that look had been when she’d seen first seen him.

Shifting from the doorway, he walked back to Daniel’s room. Though still denied free access to the base, Janet had given them free reign within this section whilst she dealt with other things. Jack walked in to see Sam sitting on the edge of Daniel’s bed and Teal’c standing in the corner. Sam had had the chance to change into some fatigues. They weren’t much better than rags but at least she looked more like herself in them. She gave him a weak smile as he walked back in and, standing up, walked over to see him. 

Jack said, "Guard said Janet’s still with him. How’re you feeling?"

Sam replied, "All right for now, sir, but I don’t know for how long. We need to get to back to our reality soon or…"

The ‘or’ hung unpleasantly in the air. O’Neill was all too well aware of what that ‘or’ was. 

From back in the bed, Daniel added, "But to do that we’re going to need through the gate."

Sam nodded gloomily and went to sit back on the edge of the bed. They all sat in silence for a few minutes. 

Eventually, Daniel said, "Well, at least we made a difference here."

Jack went to snap at him about the fact that the Daniel here didn’t care about their reality so they shouldn’t care about his when he realised that he shouldn’t be encouraging Daniel to be more like that Daniel. After everything he’d seen here, hadn’t he learned that everything he tried to change about Daniel was what made Daniel who he was? It was a lesson ‘Jack’ had obviously never learned and ‘Daniel’ was the result. He couldn’t make the same mistake. 

Instead, he replied, "Yes, you did."

The four of them had spent the last while catching up on all that had happened with Daniel and Carter and all that had been revealed here. Jack hadn’t been entirely sure if he should tell Daniel and Carter everything but had decided that he owed it to his friends to be honest with them.

They all looked up as Janet walked in. 

Teal’c asked, "What is the condition of Daniel Jackson?" 

"It’s…"

She broke down slightly but recovered, "…he’s okay for now but… not for much longer."

Trying to pull himself out of the bed, Daniel said, "Take me to see… him…"

Collapsing back in pain, Daniel pulled himself up again. 

Jack said, "Why? You want to give him the chance to finish the job?"

"I just want to talk to him."

"You can barely stand up."

Teal’c stepped forward, "In that I will assist him, O’Neill."

Daniel smiled, "Thanks, Teal’c."

Janet replied, "All right, come on then."

>< <> >< <> ><

‘Daniel’ was sitting at his desk when Janet ushered Daniel and Teal’c in. ‘Daniel’ didn’t look up at their arrival. After they’d helped him sit down, Daniel threw a meaningful glance at Janet and Teal’c who both obligingly went to wait outside. 

‘Daniel’ dryly said, "After the end of our last conversation I thought you might’ve learned I don’t really like you all that much."

Wincing slightly, Daniel replied, "No, I got that and the feeling’s more than mutual."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because whether I like it or not, I do understand you better than any of them ever could."

"You could never understand me."

Paraphrasing from ‘Daniel’s’ earlier rant, Daniel said, "How powerful you are? What you’ve had to become? No, you’re right, I really don’t. But I do understand what’s at your core because it’s inside of me too. I try to deny it but it is there."

Daniel continued, "I’d love to think that I’d be a better man than you if I’d been through what you had but the truth is that I *would* be you."

After a pause, he said, "I know you hate me and Jack and Sam but I don’t think you hate any of us as much as you hate yourself. Maybe you didn’t like what you used to be but you hate what you are now."

"What I am now is what I need to be."

Daniel snapped, "Oh yeah, to do *what* exactly? Fight Amon, Astarte… the fleet? They’re all gone. You’ve *won*. There’s no-one left to fight. ‘What you are now’ you are because of a virus, a healing device and everything that’s happened. It’s not what you need to be. It’s what *become* of you."

"Maybe you’re right but I’m not about to change. Got beyond redemption a long time ago, Doc."

"Does that go for ‘Sam’ too? Is she beyond redemption? Beyond forgiveness?"

"No-one will ever accept her here. She was his queen."

"*Astarte* was his queen. ‘Sam’ was your friend. Your friend that you tried to save so many times. And now she’s saved and you turn your back on her. On the only other person in the entire galaxy who really understands what you’ve been through. You think she doesn’t feel every pain Astarte inflicted on others. On you? You don’t think that what… happened to ‘Jack’ hasn’t been replaying inside her head ever since? For her, anyone can forgive her and it is going to be meaningless. You are the only person whose forgiveness means a damn thing to her."

"I don’t need to listen to you."

"No, you really do because I am that voice you have tried *so* hard to shut out. Like you shut ‘Sam’ out. Because you had to. Because it was too hard the other way. Because you needed to survive."

Pausing, he said, "You shut out ‘Sam’ so Astarte couldn’t touch you. But Astarte is gone. So why are you still shutting her out?"

When ‘Daniel’ didn’t answer, Daniel replied, "What you *need* to be now is her friend. Don’t let what you’ve become change that."

>< <> >< <> ><

A newly-awakened ‘Sam’ looked up to see Jack peering in at her through the door. 

Jack stutteringly said, "Hi, sorry, didn’t mean to wake you… I was just checking you were okay."

Sitting up, she said, "Colonel…"

Awkwardly, Jack made his way into the room and said, "Hey, Carter."

The look she gave him was odd. It was like the sight of him was her deepest desire and most unbearable nightmare at the same time. She seemed to want to look away but was unable to do so. 

He said, "Listen, Daniel and Sam told me… what happened to me."

‘Sam’s’ eyes dropped to the bed as Jack continued, "I just wanted you to know that he knew it wasn’t you. Knew you were fighting a battle you couldn’t win. He forgave you."

It looked as if she longed to believe those words but couldn’t, as she replied, "You can’t know that for sure."

"I’m him. He’s me. Same face. Same voice. Same thoughts. Even though I never met him, I know him better than I know anyone. He would never have wanted you to blame yourself for what that snake did to him. Never in a million years."

She looked away tearfully and he said, "I… I just wanted you to know that."

They both looked up as they heard footsteps approaching and they turned to see Daniel and Teal’c walk in followed by ‘Daniel’. Daniel locked eyes with Jack. Jack read the message there: ‘let’s give them a moment here’. Obligingly standing up, he moved out of the way.

‘Daniel’ said, "Sam?"

Locking eyes with him, Sam brokenly said, "Daniel…"

As he moved closer, she said, "I’m so sorry, Daniel, I’m so…"

‘Daniel’ cut her off, "It wasn’t you. You did nothing wrong."

"But what she did to you… to the Colonel…"

"I never hated you."

He sharply continued, "You can’t stay here. It wouldn’t be safe for you. We’re trying to re-establish contact with the Council. When we do, you’ll be sent through to join them."

Turning sharply, ‘Daniel’ left again, ‘Sam’ looked rather stunned. 

Taking to his heels, Jack raced out the door after ‘Daniel’. Stopping, he shouted, "Hey, what about us? You know they don’t have long left."

‘Daniel’ kept walking so Jack continued, "Carter kept her part of your damn deal. What about you?"

As the gap between them increased further, Jack shouted, "Come on! They killed your bad guy! They blew up his fleet! What more do they have to do?!"

He added, "You know what happens if they don’t get through the gate… this universe is going to tear them apart. That’s their reward? That’s what they get for *saving* your world? They get to stop existing?"

‘Daniel’ paused. Then quietly, he said, "Whether you believe it or not, Jack, I *actually* want to help them now… but I can’t. Not yet."

"Why?"

"To take over the defence grid we had to use the gate as a signalling beacon. You can still dial in but you can’t dial out. Earth is ripe for the picking until we get that grid under our control."

"Then we can go?"

"Yes, Jack… then you can go."

"How long? How long til it’s under your control?"

"Hopefully, within a day."

"Hopefully? You mean it might be longer? How much longer?"

‘Daniel’ sighed slightly, "Longer enough for it to be too late."

Jack closed his eyes and screamed inwardly. It wasn’t fair. They’d achieved the impossible here… hell, they’d even finally got ‘Daniel’ onside and it still might not be enough to save them. Daniel and Carter were smart but even they were going to need *time* to figure out how to make that thing work. And time was a resource that they were sorely lacking even now. 

Opening his eyes again, he found ‘Daniel’s’ eyes upon him. 

Desperately, he pleaded, "Can’t you shut it off for five minutes? Just give us long enough to get through. Give them a fighting chance, please…"

‘Daniel’ quietly said, "I can’t…"

Turning quickly, he said, "I’m sorry."

"Are you?"

‘Daniel’ paused again. After the pause, he replied, "No, not really."

Turning back round, ‘Daniel’ said, "There’s too big a part of me that says this is justice. This time you get left behind. You get to feel what it’s like to be the one that survives."

Helplessly, Jack said, "I didn’t leave you behind… ‘he’ did."

"Then in the grand scheme of things we’d be even, wouldn’t we? I know I shouldn’t feel that way but I don’t even think there’s enough left of me to truly feel any remorse."

A female voice said, "I don’t think that’s true…"

They looked up to see Sam. Their conversation had obviously fallen within earshot of what had been Daniel’s room. 

She continued, "…I just think you’ve had to block yourself off from those feelings. If you truly felt no remorse then why would you even think of helping us?"

A deep sonorous voice appeared, "Why did you walk into that room and give your forgiveness to your ‘Major Carter’ if such emotions are dead within you?"

Jack watched as ‘Daniel’ looked round at them all. The team he’d lost stood all around him. In his eyes, Jack could see a deep and intense longing that was so… hungry.

Finally breaking, ‘Daniel’ said, "I… can’t feel sorry… because I can’t have this back!"

With that, ‘Daniel’ blurred out of sight. Sam, Jack and Teal’c looked at one another. 

A quiet voice said, "Where’d he go?"

Daniel’s head had appeared out of ‘Sam’s’ room. Like Teal’c and Sam, he’d obviously heard the whole conversation. 

Jack shrugged helplessly at the question. Turning back, he saw Teal’c heading along the corridor after ‘Daniel’. 

"Teal’c?"

Teal’c said, "I will return, O’Neill."

>< <> >< <> ><

Sitting morosely staring into space, Sam kicked the floor in a random way. The others sat about the room as well. None of them looked any happier than she felt. Janet had come and taken ‘Sam’ away so now there was nothing to do but sit and wait for non-existence. 

Sam went to speak when Daniel breathed in sharply. Turning quickly, she saw him caught in the middle of a full-blown tremor. The Colonel had noticed too and came rushing over. 

When it was over, Daniel looked dizzy. 

Sam said, "They’re getting more frequent, sir."

Groaning, Daniel added, "And stronger."

Daniel and Sam looked at each other as if considering something.

Slowly, Daniel said, "Since ‘Daniel’ is being co-operative now, you should find out if he still has his reference books on ancient languages."

Sam added, "And if you can have back the device I was holding when we got here."

"Somewhere on the device there must be instructions. I focused mostly on the top so you should try to decipher the lower half first."

"I can’t be any more help on how it works but the alloy is a blend of…"

Jack held up his hands, "Hold it. What are you two on about?"

Daniel shrugged, "Just trying to give you what little help we can to get you back."

Jack realised what Daniel was saying and replied, "Daniel, Carter, we are *all* getting back."

Carter said, "I wish that were true, sir, but…"

"But nothing, Carter. *We* are going to find a way out of here whether ‘Daniel’ wants to help us or not."

After a pause, he said, "All right, here’s what we do. Next time ‘Daniel’ goes down, we take advantage of the distraction to break out of here and hijack the gate. We’ll be able to use Daniel’s retinal scan to override the security lockout."

"Sir, what if he caught us?"

"Is it worse that the alternative?"

Daniel said, "But if we open the gate then we’ll break the signal. They’ll lose control of the grid."

No longer able to refrain from snapping at him, Jack growled, "So what. Face it, there’s nothing left to save here. Besides, our reality is the only one that matters."

"Think that if you like, Jack. I can’t."

"Why in the hell not? Hasn’t this reality put you through enough?"

"When I was in that first alternate reality, Jack, I had to convince General O’Neill, Dr Carter and the others to help me. They didn’t help me to save their own world or the people they cared about. They did it to save a world they’d never know. I can’t just knowingly undo what we’ve done here. I won’t hand ‘earth’ to the Goa’uld."

Jack thought back to what he said to ‘Daniel’ earlier. It was true. He always made the ‘hard’ decisions but Daniel made the ‘right’ ones. Looking at the pleading in his friend’s eyes, Jack realised that Daniel truly considered being torn out of existence was better than the alternative if the alternative was becoming ‘Daniel’. Suddenly, Jack knew that if he pressed this, now, he’d probably be able to pull Daniel round to his way of thinking but that Daniel would cease to be truly himself. ‘Daniel’ had made him doubt himself too much. Jack wondered to himself if ‘Jack’ had realised when it had been his choice. Had he realised at the time that Daniel’s soul had rested in his hands or had the moment passed unnoticed? 

If he convinced Daniel now then he’d follow his lead. Just like ‘Daniel’ had, and look where *that* had gotten him…

But what other choice was there? He couldn’t just stand by and watch them both die just because their way out of this rested on somewhat dubious moral ground. He was choiceless…

I sound like ‘Daniel’, he thought somewhat morosely. Hey, I wonder who he got *that* from, he added sarcastically. What was it he had said to ‘Daniel’? He’d told him about the other choices. The ones that complicate things. The ones Daniel tended to open up. 

So, gently, Jack replied, "Then we need another option, Daniel."

Internally, he added, ‘Because, if not, then it’s plan A. I will not watch you die. I know you fear the loss of your soul more than your life but I’m not strong enough to let you die to save it. And there’s Carter to think about. You die; she dies and I know *you* would give your soul in a heartbeat to save her. Don’t make the only choice your life or soul. 

Slowly, Daniel said, "I don’t have one."

Glancing at Sam, he said, "We should go with your plan."

You couldn’t knowingly cause the world’s destruction, Daniel. I saw what that first alternate reality did to you. Even after we’d saved ‘our’ world, you were still determined that you could’ve saved theirs as well. That you should have. Those people ‘mattered’ to you. Hell, everyone ‘matters’ to you. He’s made you doubt yourself too much but if you don’t listen to that voice inside you now then you will have to shut it out forever. Give me another option, Daniel. Give me *something*. 

Carter stepped in and said, "If we do this, then they’ll be no turning back, sir. If we wait, maybe we won’t all make it out of this but at least you and Teal’c will be okay. If we try this and fail then ‘Daniel’s’ men would kill us even if ‘Daniel’ doesn’t get to us first…"

Like I’d want to get out of this, Carter, if you and Daniel die… We all get out… or none of us do. I won’t be left behind. Even the thought of it’s too hard. No, Carter, we can’t afford to wait…

"Waiting’s not an option, Carter, but…."

‘Daniel’s’ voice suddenly came from the door, "But I don’t know if there’s going to be enough time. I guess it all depends how quickly you can make that thing work."

All spinning around, they came face to face with ‘Daniel’.

He tossed them a GDO, a couple of radios and the gadget Carter had been using to scan the device. 

He said to Daniel, "I take it you need resources to translate the writings?"

Dumbly, Daniel nodded. ‘Daniel’ tossed him a silver device. It was about twenty centimetres by fifteen and about a two centimetres deep. Most of the area was taken up by a screen. The rest of it was covered in buttons. 

Explaining, ‘Daniel’ said, "Everything that was in my books is in there. I made electronic versions of all of them when I had the armband. Has a database of gate addresses as well."

"What is this thing?"

"It’s basically an electronic notebook. The Tok’ra designed it for us a couple of years ago. I’ll show you how to use it on the way."

Jack asked, "On the way where?"

"The control-room. The Council just called."

As they followed ‘Daniel’, they saw Teal’c was standing in the corridor. As he fell into step with Jack, he said, "O’Neill."

Jack whispered, "What the hell did you say to him, Teal’c?"

"I did not say anything to him, O’Neill. I merely requested that I be allowed to speak with Thor again."

"Thor?"

"Indeed."

"And he…?"

"When I told him of recent developments, he suggested a means by which we may leave without jeopardising this planet."

"Which is?"

"At full speed, ‘Daniel Jackson’ can disassemble the signalling beacon, manually dial the gate and reassemble the beacon between one signal pulse and the next. It will be at great risk to his own life that he does this."

"And Thor talked ‘Daniel’ into doing this?"

"He was not required to, O’Neill. ‘Daniel Jackson’ volunteered freely."

>< <> >< <> ><

They reached the control-room. Through the window, they could see that the gate was active. Even Teal’c and Carter got nothing more than a cursory glance off of the people around them. They were all looking at the blank screens in front of them.

Jack asked, "What’s going on?"

Before ‘Daniel’ could answer, the screens came alive. A couple of very familiar faces appeared on screen. General Hammond and Jacob Carter were both standing there dressed in the Tok’ra outfits. It looked odd to see Hammond not in his uniform. 

‘Daniel’ said, "Where’ve you lot been hiding yourselves for the last eighteen months?"

Hammond said, "Sorry for the delay, Dr Jackson but..."

Jacob cut him off, "I don’t know how you did it, Daniel, but that was one hell of a fireworks show."

‘Daniel’ replied, "What was the damage?"

"Almost the entire fleet. We’re talking major chaos. Indications are that Kronos, Yu and Heru’ur have caught the scent of blood in the water - they’ve already mobilised their fleets. Is the defence grid online?"

"Not yet… but I’ve got another piece of good news for you, Jacob…"

He turned to where a figure stood in the shadows and said, "Sam…"

‘Sam’ stepped into the light.

The Tok’ra froze in disbelief, "Sam? Is she…?"

"Dad…"

Daniel added, "She was rescued during the mission that killed the fleet."

Hammond had dropped back to talk to some other people.

Jacob, unable to speak, handed over to Selmac, "IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN."

Hammond came back forward, "Dr Jackson, how in god’s name did you manage all of this?"

"It’s a long story… and I don’t have time to give you a long story right now. However, I think it’s only right you should meet…"

After he had motioned for SG-1 to come into camera view, ‘Daniel’ turned back to see Hammond and Jacob looking shocked.

Hammond said, "Dr, what is going on?"

"They’re from an alternate reality. Major Carter and Dr Jackson are the ones who deserve the credit for the fireworks you just saw and the safe return of Sam."

They went to ask more questions when ‘Daniel’ said, "You have to send someone through."

"Dr Jackson?"

"This planet needs a leader."

Jacob said, "Daniel, you have been effective head of the resistance for over a year and a half. I can think of no-one more qualified to…"

"I can’t."

"Daniel?"

"It would take too long to explain right now. Suffice to say that my health is failing and my judgement’s been severely compromised. I don’t believe I’d be fit to lead the reclaiming of earth even whilst I’m able. I’m a liability this planet can’t afford right now."

"Representatives will be sent through as soon as possible, Daniel."

"Anise will assume temporary command until their arrival. She’ll be able to fully apprise whoever you send."

"What about you?"

"I won’t be here… I’m leaving earth."

"Where are you going?"

"Thor helped me to contact the Nox. They’ve generously agreed to take us both in."

After a pause, he said, "Now, if you’ll excuse me, our window for opening the gate is coming up shortly."

Hammond said, "I hope we’ll meet again some day, Dr Jackson."

"Me too, sir. Goodbye."

Hammond and Jacob nodded, the screen went blank and the gate cut off.

Daniel began pressing buttons. He said, "Janet’s bringing Thor’s pod to the gate-room. The next break in the signal will be in approximately three minutes."

They all walked down to the gate-room. After a moment, ‘Daniel’ glanced up at the control room and muttered, "I feel like I’m abandoning them…"

Daniel asked, "Then why are you doing this?"

"I have to. Truth is, I’m more Goa’uld than human now. If I don’t leave now then Amon will have been the least of earth’s problems."

Sam’s voice came from the other side of the room, "And I’m coming with you."

The shock was clear on ‘Daniel’s’ face, "Sam…"

‘Sam’ walked into the room, "I can’t stay here anymore than you can. You may forgive me but I know a billion or so that won’t."

"But… but I thought you were going to join you father on…"

She shivered slightly, "They wouldn’t understand… I’m different now. You’re the only one… one who could ever… Daniel, you are the only thing I have left… I don’t want to be alone…"

Pulling herself together, she continued, "That’s why I want to come… if you’ll have me."

There was a long pause. Daniel looked unsure.

Eventually, her eyes filling with tears, Sam said, "But… I’ll understand if you… if it’s too hard."

Turning away, Daniel said, "Go to your father."

Nodding, ‘Sam’ watched miserably as he left the room. As he did, Janet walked in the other door, pushing Thor’s stasis pod along with her. Jack, looking at the desolated ‘Sam’, seemed to reach a decision and hurried out the door. 

‘Daniel’ was heading up to the control-room. Jack caught up with him within a few paces, "Hey, ‘Daniel’… what’s going on? Thought you two had worked things out?"

"Jack, stay out of this."

"You don’t really forgive her, is that it? You still hate her?"

Halting, ‘Daniel’ said, "I never hated her. I hated Astarte… no, I hated *myself* for letting Astarte take her."

"Then why not take her with you? She needs you."

"She needs support. She doesn’t need me."

"She wants to go with you."

"She doesn’t know what she wants."

After a pause, he continued, "I can’t take her with me, Jack. Don’t you understand? I just *can’t*."

"You don’t want to be alone anymore than she does."

"Jack, I don’t even know what’s going to happen. Even if the Nox can cure me… I don’t even know if there’s anything worth saving. There is so much darkness inside me…"

"You forgave her. You’re helping us. That’s worth something."

"Yeah, I also sent your friend through a window and nearly killed him and sent another of them on a suicide mission."

"Okay, so you’re not exactly the nicest guy in the Universe… but how the hell could you be after everything that’s happened?"

"I just don’t think I’m the person she needs to be around right now."

"Don’t you get it? You are *exactly* the person she needs to be around. If there’s one person Astarte screwed around with then it’s you. If you can forgive her… then anyone could."

"I’m more screwed up than she is."

"Exactly, you’re both hurting because you blame yourself for what Astarte did to the other one."

"We used to be friends… but those people that we were… the ones you know… don’t exist here anymore. Too much has happened. We’ve both changed too much."

"Yeah, but neither of you likes the person you are now. You need the one person who really knew the person you used to be."

After a pause, Jack said, "Besides… think she’d benefit from a trip to the Nox as much as you would."

‘Daniel’ slowly walked up the steps to the control-room. Walking back into the gate-room, Jack countered the curious expressions of his team-mates with a blank look. Truth was, he had no idea if he’d just got through to ‘Daniel’ or not. 

Then, from the control-room, ‘Daniel’ said, "All right, everyone be ready. Once the gate is open, you’ll have to move fast."

‘Daniel’ locked eyes with ‘Sam’ and repeated, "*Everyone* be ready."

From his position at the foot of the gate, he saw ‘Daniel’ turn to Janet who had also headed up to the control room. She locked gazes with him for a moment then nodded slowly and raised the healing device to his head. Praying that ‘Daniel’ could fight this last batch of evil rays, Jack watched him turn from Janet. Then, he became a blur. Jack became aware of the cables connecting to the gate being rearranged and the chevrons lighting up almost instantaneously as Daniel manual dialled in faster than someone could press the chevrons down on a DHD. As the gate burst into life, Jack saw the cables begin to rearrange themselves again. 

As Teal’c pushed Thor’s pod into the event horizon, Sam grabbed Jack’s arm, "Sir, we’ve got to go now."

Jack nodded and they hurried up the gate as the last cable was secured. They hit the event horizon at a sprint. 

>< <> >< <> ><

As they rematerialized on the other side, the gate held open an instant longer but then, flickering, it cut off. ‘Daniel’ was nowhere to be seen.

Teal’c said, "Where is ‘Daniel Jackson’?"

Jack carefully said, "Maybe he didn’t make it."

Daniel said, "No, he’s here."

"What makes you so…"

As Daniel indicated the deep trail in the grass beneath them, Jack said, "Oh…"

Sam said, "You exit the gate as you enter it, sir, and ‘Daniel’ must have been going full-speed when he hit the event horizon."

Teal’c asked, "Then why has he not yet returned?"

Sam replied, "His entire system was on the verge of collapse *before* he held the gate open for us."

Jack sighed for a second then said, "All right, Daniel, Carter… head to the city and try to locate the device. ‘Sam’, stay here with Thor. Teal’c and I’ll go see if we can find where ‘Daniel’ finally stopped."

>< <> >< <> ><

Sam and Daniel walked across the planet. This one had been destroyed - just like the one in their reality. 

Eventually, they reached the clearing SG-4 had found the device in. There it stood. It was a little more ivy-covered but, basically, it was the same upright-standing, tall, broad, greyish-blue, cold, vaguely rectangular, stone thing that had been sitting in Carter’s laboratory. 

Daniel and Carter headed towards it.

Daniel said, "If I start with the passage on the back… at least I vaguely know the languages there. Some of the other ones… well, let’s just hope what we need to know is written on the back."

Carter said, "Daniel, first tell me what all these symbols on this band are. It’s pretty certain that this is the control panel but I can’t even *begin* to figure out how to work it without knowing what these are. 

Daniel came round. Glancing down at the soft dirt below him, he grabbed a stick and began to draw the symbols into it. Next to each, he explained what it was. Nodding gratefully, Carter knelt down to read them as Daniel scurried around to translate the inscriptions down the back. 

>< <> >< <> ><

It had taken a half hour for ‘Daniel’s’ trail to come to an end. There he lay, exhausted, against one of the ruined buildings of the city. Jack and Teal’c reached forward and both pulled an arm over their shoulder. 

Gently, Jack said, "Come on, Danny, let’s get you back to the gate. ‘Sam’s’ waiting for you."

When they were nearly back to the gate, ‘Sam’, seeing the state he was in, ran over, "I should have brought one of the healing devices with me… I could have helped him…"

‘Daniel’ pulled his head up. Since they’d found him, he’d seemed too drained to even speak but, now, he said, "No, it… it wouldn’t have been worth it…"

‘Sam’ detached from the group and hurried back to dial. As the rest of them neared the gate, the event horizon crashed into existence. 

Coming back to meet them, she said, "It’s time for us to go."

Jack moved away from his position at ‘Daniel’s’ side and let ‘Sam’ assume it. 

She said, "There’s no way we could ever repay what you four have done for our world… or for us. Thank-you."

Teal’c went forward with the two of them until the nearly reached the event horizon. Then, gently, he eased ‘Daniel’s’’ arm from his shoulder. ‘Daniel’ threatened to fall for a moment before ‘Sam’ managed to steady him. As they sent Thor through, they both looked round at them. 

Weakly, ‘Daniel’ said, "I’m sorry… about everything… and I do mean it, this time."

Jack simply replied, "You two going to be okay?"

"Don’t know…"

Then locking eyes with ‘Sam’, he added, "…but at least we won’t be alone…"

The first genuine smile they had seen appeared on ‘Sam’s’ face at the comment. 

She added, "We’ll be okay…"

With that, they stepped forward into the event horizon. It closed up behind them.

>< <> >< <> ><

As they reached the clearing where the device lay, Jack looked round at the others. Teal’c was looking grimmer than usual; Carter seemed very spooked and Daniel was definitely not functioning at one hundred percent but they were all here. 

Announcing their presence to their friends, Jack said, "All right. We’ve somehow made it this far. Think you two can get us all the way back to Kansas?"

Sam said, "We’re working on it, sir. Are they gone?"

Jack nodded. As he turned to Daniel, he saw him wearily rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Hey, y’okay?"

Daniel replied, "Yeah…"

"How about really?"

"Well I’m not exactly the most cheerful I’ve ever been in my whole life but I don’t think any of us are."

"You almost had to share a body with Astarte. I think you get the right to be very far from okay."

Daniel shuddered, "It isn’t that… it was seeing Sam like that. Knowing what had happened to you and Teal’c. Knowing what had happened to the world. It was seeing what happened to *me* in that kind of Universe. What I really am."

"What you *became*, Daniel; not what you *are*."

"How can you be so sure? How can be so sure after seeing *him*?"

"Because I know you, Daniel."

"How can you? *I* don’t know me."

"Oh, I know you, Daniel. I know who took a staff blast for me; who helped me save the world and who always has to see both sides of the conflict even when I consider it’s damn inconvenient to do so. I know who you are, Daniel. As for *him*… I think it actually says something about you that you could have survived what you had with anything even vaguely resembling a conscience left. He held that gate open for us, Daniel, and it almost killed him. He didn’t have to do that."

"I know… I even *understand* why he is the way he is. It still scares me to hell knowing that that was me." 

Sighing, Daniel rubbed his neck again and tried to refocus on the writing.

Seeing Daniel’s desire to end that conversation, Jack asked, "So you been making any progress?"

Daniel reached up to the beginning of the engravings and, tracing his way down said, "Grief and suffering are hard upon the mind and heavy upon the heart… and a lot more along those lines but down the bottom here…"

Quickly dropping his hand down to the final few lines of symbols it said, "Rash choices are not to be taken for this gateway is not to be trifled with."

Jack said, "Yeah, that would seem pretty self-evident from our current situation but as for getting back?"

"Jack, this ‘gateway’ was designed to be used by people who already understood how it worked. I don’t know, maybe if we searched through some of the wrecked buildings we might find something but this thing is covered with warnings; not instructions." 

Sam said, "Daniel?"

Getting to his feet, Daniel circled round the pillar to Sam’s side. 

He said, "Yeah?"

"I think I may have an idea how this panel works."

The other two came over to hear this.

Using a stick to point to various symbols, Carter said, "Okay, you said that the four snakes represent infinity. I’m guessing that that’s why we’re stuck here."

Daniel nodded, "Probably. The writings said that the pillar could be used to look into another reality. Sort of a ‘what if’ machine. It has the ability to pull you back from the other reality… I think it does, anyway."

"So these four snakes are a sort of override system. They override the call-back mechanism."

Daniel seemed to have thought of something, "There *is* a mention of four keepers who had to agree with you before you could use the gateway. It said that those four controlled eternity. Perhaps that literally meant that each of them had to activate a different snake." 

"Could be. I think the other numbers are just a type of code, really. See, I’m guessing that the EM field from my diagnostic scanner somehow filtered into the stone as I scanned across it and tricked the security lock-outs into thinking I had entered the code and pressed all the snake symbols simultaneously."

Jack said, "What d’you mean?"

"Sir, there are safeguards in place to make sure that no-one can accidentally do what I did. I basically screwed up the security system."

Daniel said, "Hang on, Sam. You’re saying that this panel doesn’t actually determine where you end up?"

"I don’t think so…"

"Oz."

Daniel’s soft exclamation silenced the others quicker than his yell could have. Everyone recognised that tone. It was the one you interrupted at your peril. The reason Daniel wasn’t just really smart but a genius. The flicker of inspiration so weak that the slightest thing would blow it out again but, if you let it, it would grow in intensity, sweeping through Daniel’s knowledge and intellect with ever-increasing momentum. The source from which all the options flowed. 

Carefully, so as not to break the spell, Jack said, "Daniel…"

Words spilling over each other, Daniel’s inner monologue cascaded out of his mouth, "She had it… all the time and just didn’t realise… that has to be it. All she had to do was…"

Carter said, "So you’re saying…?"

As Daniel nodded, Sam said, "Then that would mean…"

Without a skipped beat, Daniel said, "…mind control. Sam, the ribbon device works through a connection with the mind but you need naquadah in your blood to make it work, right? And you said..."

"…this thing is mainly naquadah. Yeah, I see where you’re going with this."

Obviously, Daniel’s inspiration had infected Jack’s other genius because she was now making as little sense as Daniel was. Despite his lack of understanding, though, Jack knew that moments like this were why he put up with the times like in that lab when the near-telepathic link between them did little but annoy him. Because when Daniel and Carter got a signal bouncing between them, they could achieve the impossible. 

Daniel continued, "This gateway is designed to show people what would happen if they got what they thought they wanted so the easiest way to do that would be through…"

"Some sort of neural interface… yeah. Then the device itself could scan realities and find one with the closest match to the criteria."

"That has to be it…"

Carter turned to him, "What d’you think, sir?"

Was Carter going mad? Since when did she think he’d joined their little telepathy group? 

"Why do you believe I have the slightest clue what you two are talking about?"

Slightly confused, Sam replied, "You’ve been comparing this to Oz since we got here."

"And?"

Translating their earlier half-conversation, Sam said, "Sir, we think that basically we *thought* our way here."

Daniel added, "And we can think our way back."

Finally catching the idea, Jack said, "So you’re saying Dorothy here just clicks her heels together three times, says there’s no place like home and we’re back to Kansas, right?"

"Knew you’d catch on sooner or later."

Sam said, "Sir, you see, the composition of this material…"

Jack held up a hand, "Seeing as you and Daniel are running low on time, how about we just get back to Kansas and leave the explanations until later, Major. Now can you get us back?"

"I think so, sir. Basically, I should just have to override the security lockout again."

As she bent down to configure the device, she said, "Well, it hasn’t been all bad."

Daniel, still not in the best of spirits after everything that had happened, replied, "How d’you figure that?"

As she activated her scanner, she explained, "That electronic notebook. With the addresses in it, we could be able to…"

Jack cut her off, "Could everyone stick to thinking ‘There’s no place like home’. A little focus, huh?"

Sam replied, "Sorry, sir."

"Shall we?"

"Yes, sir."

With that, Sam began to scan across the symbols in the same order as she had the first time. Trying to concentrate on thoughts of her reality, she happened to glance around to where Daniel had written the symbols for her in the dirt. Lying there, was a slim silver device.

Eyes widening, Carter said, "I forgot to pick it up…"

However, she’d already passed the scanner over the final snake. One by one, the symbols were beginning to light up. Thinking of nothing but getting hold of the notebook, Sam dashed backwards. Jack and Daniel had followed her gaze when she turned and, as an individual, they grabbed her.

There was a sharp yellow flash which swiftly engulfed them.

>< <> >< <> ><

Blinking as he moved away from the smoking pile of debris, Jack said, "Everyone all right?"

"Yeah."

"I am well."

"Yes, sir. Are you?"

Jack replied, "Carter, what the hell did you think you were doing?!"

"Uh, guys…"

"I left the notebook behind. I’d left it lying on the ground! Sir, I’m sorry…"

"Guys…"

"So you should be… for nearly leaving yourself behind. If Daniel and I hadn’t grabbed you…"

"Guys…"

"I’m sorry, sir. I just saw it lying on the ground and I panicked. All that knowledge and I lost it."

"Guys?"

Jack finally glanced round slightly, "What is it?"

"Are we sure we’re back? I mean, I wasn’t exactly thinking of home. I was a little busy thinking Sam was gonna get left behind if I didn’t grab her."

Jack face fell, "Oh… guess I was too."

Fearfully, Sam said, "And I was thinking of the device."

Teal’c said, "Would not the device be present in this clearing if we are not back?"

Daniel added, "Yeah… Unless, of course, it just blew up when the other one appeared in the same place."

They all looked at each other. Finally, Jack said, "Well, there’s only one way to tell. Let’s get back to the gate."

>< <> >< <> ><

At the DHD, Daniel hesitantly began to dial. They held their collective breath as the gate span. When the shimmering event horizon appeared, Jack said, "All right, here goes nothing…"

Pressing down on his radio, he said, "SGC, this is Colonel O’Neill. Are you receiving this? SGC do you copy?"

There was static for a moment before Hammond’s voice appeared, "Colonel O’Neill?! Is that you?"

"Yes, sir… transmitting SG-1’s IDC for confirmation."

There was a tense few seconds as they waited for Hammond’s reply. Finally, he said, "Jack, what the hell happened? You and your team vanished out of the base days ago and now you turn up on another planet?"

Sighing in relief, Jack said to the team, "I think we’re back."

As the others nodded, he pressed down on the radio again, "It’s quite a story, Auntie Em…"

>< <> >< <> ><

After he was discharged from the infirmary, Jack went to track down his friends. Daniel was still sleeping off the combined effects of the torture stick, the near-Goa’ulding and the trip through the plate-glass window. Janet – who Jack kept expecting to start speaking like Anise – assured him that Daniel was going to be fine. Carter and Teal’c, who’d been released before him, were somewhere round the base. 

Reaching Carter’s lab, he looked in to see her using the hand-scanner to scan something onto her laptop. Glancing across to what she was scanning, he said, "Carter?"

"Sir?"

"Would that be a piece of the device, by any chance?"

"Um… yes, sir. SG-4 went back to retrieve the remains of it this morning."

"Let me guess who suggested that…"

"Sir, the material itself is amazing."

"Well, give my regards to ‘me’ when you wind up in another reality."

"Sir, I don’t see how a fragment of it would be capable of doing anything…"

There was a sharp yellow flash and, suddenly, the fragment shattered and scattered across the desk. Jack and Carter locked gazes and, slowly, Jack reached for the phone. 

"General…oh, well, where is he? Well, put me through to the infirmary then… Hey, Doc, is the General there…? Thanks… hi, sir… yeah… we’re in Carter’s lab right now… and I’m aware this is a strange question but we… uh… wouldn’t happen to be anywhere else as well, would we…? No Goa’ulds taken over the world or anything…? That’s reassuring, sir… No, no reason, sir. Thank-you… bye."

"Sir?"

"We’re still in Kansas. But how about you don’t try that again?"

The relief clear on her face, she set the scanner down carefully and said, "Maybe you’re right, sir."

Just then, Teal’c appeared at the door. Seeing the looks on their faces, he said, "What is wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, just Carter here trying to take us on a little return trip to Oz. What you doing up here?"

"Major Carter earlier expressed her confusion that our thoughts could have led us to a reality such as that we encountered. I believe I may have a partial explanation."

Carter, intrigued, said, "Really? What is it?"

"I regret that I may be somewhat responsible for the reality selected. Due to the protests of Daniel Jackson to General Hammond’s orders, I believe I was contemplating what would occur were he in command of the facility when the device was activated."

Sam said, "That would track with Daniel’s suggestion that it was a ‘What if’ machine that scanned realities for the closest match. I mean, there can’t be many realities where Daniel ends up in charge of the base."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Great wish there, Teal’c."

"I am sorry, O’Neill."

"Hey, you weren’t to know it’d come true…"

Turning to Carter for a moment, he continued, "And seeing as *we* all had our minds elsewhere…"

As she winced, he turned back to Teal’c, "…I’d guess you’re also the reason we made it back to our reality."

Teal’c bowed his head slightly in appreciation then said, "What is the condition of Daniel Jackson, O’Neill?"

"Fraiser says he’ll be fine in a few days. Healing device had taken care of most of the damage… mostly, he’s just exhausted."

Teal’c added, "His thoughts remained troubled."

"Hell, Teal’c, so do mine."

Carter added, "Me too… It just all reminded me just how vulnerable we really are. I mean, we joke about saving the world all those times but, in truth, it’s down to chance that earth wasn’t destroyed or conquered years ago. And I think about Anubis and how easily what happened there could happen here… and it’s too horrific even to think about."

Jack replied, "Well, at least if Daniel’s right about him being dead, we shouldn’t ever have to worry about Amon trying to take us over. One less Goa’uld to try and kill us has to be a good thing, right?"

Smiling slightly, she replied, "I guess so, sir."

Jack said, "Hey, I wonder just how pissed off Apophis would have been if he’d realised he actually saved us all…"

A voice from the door said, "Pretty damn pissed, I’d say…"

They all looked up to see a rather sleepy-looking Dr Jackson leaning against the door-frame with a lazy smile upon his face.

Jack said, "Daniel? What are you doing here?"

"I was talking to the General just before you called him. You’ve got him pretty confused, Jack. What’s going on?"

Off-hand, Jack said, "Oh, just a little reality check… so how you feeling now, anyway?"

Daniel replied, "Like I could happily sleep for a week… but I’m okay."

Then, intrigued, he looked over at what lay on Carter’s desk, "Are those fragments of the…?"

Hurrying over, Jack grabbed Daniel and replied, "Uh-uh… you don’t get to play with them either…"

He glanced round at Carter and said, "Major? I got your word on this?"

"Yes, sir. I’ll talk to the General and have the fragments sent back through to the planet…"

"Thank-you, Major…"

Still with a firm grip on Daniel’s arms, Jack propelled him out of the room. 

As he released him, Daniel looked confused, "What was all that about?"

Motioning to Daniel that they should walk down the corridor, Jack said, "Doesn’t matter… so how are you feeling, really?"

"I’ll be fine, Jack. It just shook me up seeing myself like that."

After a pause, he continued, "You have to understand, Jack… that Daniel does exist in this reality too… inside of me…"

"We all have that inside of us, Daniel… it’s just that most of us don’t have to look that part of us in the eye. What makes us who we are is whether we choose to fight against that part or not."

Nodding vaguely, Daniel replied, "Yeah, I guess… It’s just… I’m so scared that that could happen to me some day… that there’ll be something that pushes me too far and makes me give up that fight."

‘Don’t let it be me’, Jack thought silently, ‘because I saw back there just how easily it could be… and how easily I could kid myself that I’m doing you a favour. Sometimes I’ll be a military idiot and sometimes I’ll just be a plain idiot. And when I am then I will try to grind you down and shut you up and change you into something you’re not. Never let me do that, Daniel. You’ll always be stronger than me, Daniel, and I’ll make you suffer for it more than once but don’t ever let me wear you down.’ 

Aloud, though, he said, "You know, just before you walked in, Carter was talking about how easy it’d have been for some Goa’uld to have enslaved us all by now. And she’s right. But we can’t live like that... we can’t keep wondering ‘what if?’ all the time. We just have to keep fighting and believe that it makes a difference. Nothing’s inevitable."

Daniel smiled slightly at the comment, "I guess you’re right."

"Course I’m right. That’s Jack’s second law, actually."

A grin breaking onto his face, Daniel replied, "You’ve got a second law, now?"

"Well what with the first being such a hit, I figured it was time for another one."

"You realise, of course, that that contradicts with your other law."

"What?"

"Well, if nothing’s inevitable and we’re not supposed to ask ‘what if’ all the time then, logically, you can’t claim that anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

"Keep that up and the third law’s going to be about what happens to smartass archaeologists who think they’re funny…"

**The End**

  


* * *

  


> AUTHOR’S NOTES: This is set sometime after Last Stand but before Meridian. 
> 
> Took me ages to write so feedback greatly appreciated!
> 
> (You just spent ages reading this thing. What’s another couple of minutes? Send FEEDBACK to eve_orgtmptrss@hotmail.com! Always appreciated – even the stuff picking holes in my plots!) 

* * *

> © April 2005 The characters mentioned in this 
> 
> story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, 
> 
> the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE 
> 
> SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright 
> 
> property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright 
> 
> Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This 
> 
> fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant 
> 
> for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself 
> 
> are the sole property of the author. 


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